The Life of the Hunted
by True Glint
Summary: Naruto Vs Konoha? Female Kyuubi? Iwa involvement? What is this? It's a unique story, that's what. Semi dark in places, M rating that applies from the start. Less bashing more actual violence, characters will be injured and some even die. Want to know more? Come take a look inside. CANCELLED
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Please read this, it explains the set up before the story begins.**

**Firstly this has a focus on Naruto unlike my first Naruto fic that people don't seem to like much. This one will follow the original plotmore than 'The Mishap'. However there are still changes to the original plot that you will see occuring. The reason for this is because there are soooooooooo many fics that use the old set up and quite frankly I don't want to follow that same path. There's only so much you can do with canon material.**

**As a result there will be things in here that some people may not like. Truth be told there's a lot of uncertainty on my end with plot lines, terminologies and characters. I can't go into too much detail without spoiling future content.**

**But that said there are features in this story that I have seen in many _many_ others, although I use them in a different context. This makes this fic similar but different to be unique. Also, I myself have a very low knowledge of the original Naruto plot. I have only seen up to the begining of phase 2 of the chunin exams, just before they enter the forest of death. Reason being is because I found the canon Naruto character to be, well wrong. He seemed far too immature by constantly seeking attention instead of earning it. That doesn't mean I don't like Naruto, I just take a while to get through the series. The bulk of my knowledge comes from fan fiction. Normally that's a bad source but with the sheer number of stories here I have a very good idea of the sequence of events the plot takes.**

**Which leads me to the finer details. Jutsus won't be called out with words, nor will I write the handsign sequences, just to maintain a seemless flow of words in a fight scene. There won't be any new jutsus invented for this story either, there's more than enough in the canon arsenal to use as it is.**

**There will be terminologies and honorifics that I may get wrong, please feel free to correct me as I need the practice. I would rather write a piece of crap correctly than a masterpiece with errors throughout.**

**Also, due to the nature of the story's direction, there will be a large swathe of OCs. I am really trying to avoid these wherever possible so I will be sending pleas out for lore and suggestions as early as I can without giving spoilers.**

**And yes, this story is rated with the M tag for multiple reasons. I won't divulge those as again that involves spoilers. Just be prepared for M rated content, I have done/will do my best to lead into those gradually to provide ample warnings.**

**This will be updated once a week on a Saturday unless I have a writing spree again, I've had a few of those recently. I'm posting this chapter on Friday so chapter 2 will be up next weekend. It gives me enough time to fix my errors and swap OCs out for canon characters where possible.**

**Other than that, please enjoy this. I am trying to keep it as close to the original plot whilst adding my own flair to it. Some arcs won't be used but replacements will be created to develop the plot in a similar way. Other arcs will be used/modified to fit where possible.**

**So, here we go...**

* * *

The Life of the Hunted

Chapter 1

The story of Naruto Uzumaki, a blonde haired boy currently running through Konoha while being chased by a group of villagers. They brandished weapons as they shouted taunting words to his back, closing the distance rapidly between them and himself.

He was a mere five year old, forced to learn how to run before anything else. His grotesquely malnourished body was marked by numerous scars, evidence that this wasn't the first time he had been given hostile treatment. The things he classed as clothes, mere rags he had found that hung loosely from his small frame, barely offered anything in the way of warmth or dignity.

He didn't know why they chased him, or why they seemed to hate him, but they always hunted him. He had never had a peaceful sleep, nowhere was safe enough to rest in this village. The dark rings around his eyes proved his forced insomnia, the tears adding to his fearful expression.

A kunai impaled itself in the back of his left leg, behind the knee. He screamed in pain, just as he did each time he was attacked, as the group closed in on him. He couldn't hear their words now, the pain overwhelming every one of his senses. Nostalgia gripped him as he waited for what comes next. He didn't need to wait long.

The first foot connected with his body, driving the air from his lungs. As soon as he felt the first impact, more followed. He was beaten once again, mercilessly while the villagers simply laughed. His cries fell on deaf ears as they revelled in their brutality.

His excuse for clothing was torn off by a villager with a disturbing, maniacal grin. The rest gave him room as he whipped out his excuse for masculinity and shoved himself straight into Naruto's rear. The boy screamed harder, this was by far the worst torture he had to endure. It wasn't the first time either.

Time warped for the blonde, he had no idea how long the torture lasted. The only thing he was aware of was the pain, mind crushing pain. That and the foul man's hot fluid seeping out of him as he finally withdrew.

Then the blades made their entrance. Great arcs of blood were thrown skywards as flashes of metal slashed into the boy. He screamed the whole time, feeling his life drain away. The assault continued as it always did, ending with the villagers leaving Naruto in a pool of his own blood. His body twisted unnaturally as his broken bones allowed extra angles to be formed by his limbs. His breath came in painful rasps, broken ribs digging into a collapsed lung.

Naruto laid in the alley he was chased and beaten in. His eyes closed weakly as once again his injuries began to heal. How he didn't know, but he always felt a warm balm over his body whenever he was healed. The process wasn't painless though, far from it. His broken bones had to snap back in place before they could rejoin, causing as much pain as the beating itself. If his voice hadn't broken from all the screaming before then he would still be screaming now.

He writhed in agony as the damage was reversed, more scars forming from the gashes inflicted earlier. The whole process took as long as the beating did. Naruto struggled to his feet, the aches still present in his body. Sweat poured from him as his body temperature began to drop back to normal, the healing process generated a lot of heat.

Staggering to a dark corner in the alley Naruto slumped against the wall. He had nowhere else to go, no one to turn to. The entire village hated him for reasons he simply didn't know, shutting him out of their lives except to beat him. Once more the tears returned. He was five years old, every day of his existence had resulted in cruelly towards him. Every beating, every hateful glance, every ounce of neglect weighed heavily on him.

He hated the village as much as it hated him, but he could do nothing about it.

Allowing his drowsiness to take over Naruto cried himself to sleep, again.

* * *

Sarutobi sighed. The ANBU before him stood awaiting further orders after delivering the report. The Hokage simply pinched his brow.

"I assume he still survived?"

The ANBU didn't flinch. "Yes Hokage-sama. He still lives."

"I see." Sarutobi turned to look out the window. The village, his village, was basking in the light of the setting sun. "I wonder if things would be easier if he simply died. But he is our best weapon should things lead to war again."

"Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi jumped slightly. "Ah yes, forgive me. Continue to watch him. There's no need to intervene in anything, as long as he still lives. Anything else is collateral, just stop Naruto from dying."

The ANBU bowed before leaving. "Yes Hokage-sama!"

* * *

Naruto woke, finding himself in some sort of sewer. Wearily he looked around himself. He hadn't sustained any more injuries, which in itself was very odd, but he definitely remembered falling asleep in an alley. This sewer was not said alley.

The water was frigid against his unclothed skin, he hadn't been able to find replacement garments to conceal himself with. His most recent scars stung from the icy water. He stood gingerly, still taking in his surroundings.

A deep rumble sounded in the distance, coming from the other end of the sewer. Naruto, being a five year old, decided he wanted nothing to do with whatever had made that noise. He sat against the side of the sewer, where the water was slightly shallower, and tried to drift back to sleep. He was unsuccessful at first, but eventually he slipped into the realm of dreams again.

* * *

He woke once more, now back in the alley. He decided the sewer was a dream, it made more sense that way. Rubbing his eyes he began to search for new clothing, pulling out rags and scraps of fabric that semi fitted his frame. He eyed the drying pool of blood that he was left in, noting just how much there was. If it wasn't for his healing ability he would have been dead within minutes after being left.

Naruto, now wearing a fresher assortment of rags that offered more dignity, left the alley for another. This one was located behind a few food stalls, the bins out back containing morsels of food that he had been forced to survive on. He received countless hateful glares as he travelled, the occasions stone clipping his body. Fresh trails of blood streamed down him as his healing closed the wounds, yet more scars.

He reached the alley without further incident, most people not willing to escalate the violence towards him until night began to set. Not that anyone would intervene if someone did beat him in daylight, they would all likely join in. He scanned around the bins and other piles of discarded items, the stench of rotten food permeating his nose. He knew the food he ate wasn't good for him, but it's all he could get. He would hide briefly when people came into the alley and dumped more waste, before scurrying to the new pile in the hope of food. He found some edible items, not all were really classed as food anymore, before resigning in defeat and leaving the alley. People knew he survived like this, they were reducing what they put out so he had no food source. Water was easy, rain water was sort of safe to drink. It hadn't rained in a week though, so he had to literally lick condensation wherever he found it.

He retreated to his best hide away, his dark corner where most people couldn't find him. Another alley in a much quieter area of the village but isolated from any potential food sources. Crawling in the small hole he made in the piles of rubbish, he did his best to ignore the smell, Naruto laid down and tried to forget his hunger. He was always hungry. Always hungry and always lonely. His tears returned again as he drifted to sleep.

* * *

Again Naruto woke inside a sewer, the same one if he had to guess. Again he heard the rumbling, but this time something was pulling him backwards down the sewer. He tried to fight against it but he continued being pulled. He scrambled to find a hold on anything, groping for something to hold on to. Nothing came to his aid as he panicked, tears of fear streaming down his face.

Eventually he stopped, dropped back into the cold water. The rumbling was much louder now, rhythmic even. Almost like breathing...

Deep breathing...

Naruto panicked even more, imagining a huge monster looming over him. He slowly turned his head to look behind him, seeing the source of the terrifying noise.

Behind him lay a set of iron bars set deep into the walls. A single sheet of paper of unknown purpose lay across a large gate in the bars. But behind those bars were two massive red eyes, black slitted pupils boring straight into him. A set of large teeth flashed in a bestial grin before parting, releasing an enormous roar.

Naruto paled so much he looked dead, all colour draining from him. Wasn't it enough that the villagers beat and tortured him relentlessly? Obviously not if he's been thrown in front of this beast.

Not wanting to remain anywhere near this _thing_, Naruto jumped to his feet and ran back the way he came. He got five steps before he was immobilised by an unseen force. He dropped back into the water face first, curling into a ball in the last effort to protect himself. He knew he cried a lot, every day actually, but he couldn't stop the tears of fear pouring out of him as he laid in front of the bars, those eyes piercing his soul.

He waited to be eaten by those teeth, torn apart while it chewed on his malnourished body. He waited for the breath to wash over him shortly before the mouth closed around him. He waited, but nothing happened.

He uncurled just enough to see the beast, the eyes still piercing. He was laying right in front of the bars, easily within reach.

Said beast was surveying Naruto with its gaze. He couldn't read anything in those eyes. It seemed to gauge him for a while before retreating back slightly.

**"Pathetic!"**

That single word boomed out from the beast, causing Naruto to curl up again from the suddenness. A voice of power, frightening power that threatened to tear him asunder. He shivered where he laid, partially from fear and partially from the icy water.

**"You can't even look at me! How can you call yourself a ninja?"**

Naruto blinked from his cover. Ninja? He wasn't a ninja. He was a five year old boy with nothing, not a ninja. Seeing as this beast was speaking instead of eating him, he decided to respond.

"I-I'm not a ninja-"

**"So you're just a snivelling boy, afraid of everything by the looks of it"**

Naruto had to admit there was truth in that. It wasn't his fault though, his life so far had imposed that fear on him. "Y-Yes, I am." He watched the eyes become angry, causing him to panic again. "I-It's not my f-fault, they made me afraid!"

The beast paused, it hadn't expected that. **"Who did?"** It confused itself by asking such a question, such things were beneath it. Yet...

"Everyone. T-They hate me."

That _really_ got the beast. **"Hate? Boy, you speak in riddles. I grow tired of such games, no more lies!"**

"I'm not lying!" Naruto's conviction startled even himself. He uncurled again and stood defiantly before the beast, almost without fear. Almost.

The beast studied the boy again, looking for anything it might have missed before. Only now did it see the boy's condition. The ragged clothes barely performing as they should. The horrifically scarred, malnourished body that lay beneath. But it was the eyes that got its attention the most. The eyes that have never seen love, never seen kindness. Only pain, suffering, torture even. Things didn't add up for the beast, what it felt should have happened was far different to what it was seeing now.

The beast blinked. **"Boy, what has happened to you? This doesn't make sense."**

Naruto dropped his head. "I don't want to talk about it."

There was a noise as the beast shifted. **"Do you know who I am?" **Naruto shook his head. **"I am Kyuubi, the nine tailed fox. How do you not know of me?"**

Naruto's fear returned. "I-I do know of you. But you're dead! You were defeated five years ago!"

Kyuubi sighed deeply. **"So that's what they told you. No boy, I wasn't defeated. I can't simply be killed, so you're village did the next best thing." **Naruto didn't like where this was going. **"They sealed me away, inside you."**

Naruto dropped to the floor, the pieces of his life fitting together. The Kyuubi wasn't killed, but sealed inside himself. The villagers hated the Kyuubi for what it had done to the village, then they turned that hate against him. For five years he wondered why, now he knew.

"So you're the reason everyone hates me." His voice was deathly low.

**"You were supposed to be hailed as a hero."**

He ignored the Kyuubi. "You're the reason I get treated how I do, why I have nothing in my life. Why I get beaten each night, it's all because of you!" Naruto was shouting by the time he had finished, pointing an accusing finger at the beast. Tears of fear had given way to tears of rage. "All because of you!"

For the first time, Kyuubi felt a deep sense of regret. **"Yes, it's because of me. But this wasn't supposed to happen. You should have been a hero, not hated."**

Naruto dropped to the floor again, crying his frustration. "Why me? Why do I deserve this?"

Kyuubi, surprising itself again, stretched out a tail and encircled Naruto in an attempt to provide some comfort. He didn't resist the gesture, but he didn't stop his crying either.

**"What is your name boy?"**

He choked his reply out. "N-Naruto."

Kyuubi brought Naruto through the bars, lifting him level with one eye. **"Naruto, may I view your memories for myself, to understand what you have been through? I swear on my tails that I will cause you no harm."**

Naruto, for want of anything better to do, nodded. Kyuubi closed its eyes as it began viewing the memories. It scanned through quickly yet thoroughly, not missing a single detail. Five years passed in five minutes, the eyes twitching in anger. Once it had seen enough the eyes snapped open, full of rage. Its tails, except the one holding Naruto, thrashed around as it roared.

**"This is unacceptable! No being has the right to treat a child in this manner! This is worse than barbaric!"** It ranted for a while longer before calming itself. **"Naruto, if I had had any idea of what you have been through... Forgive my brash words before, I was too quick to assume."**

"No." Kyuubi startled at that. It was just about to verbally tear him apart when he spoke again. "You had every right to assume. You believed what you thought would happen, it wasn't you who did these things to me."

Kyuubi calmed down, confused by Naruto removing the blame from it. **"I suppose you're right."**

"So what do we do now?"

**"I don't know."** It sounded strange for Kyuubi to say that. Naruto was placed back down on his own feet, the tail releasing him and returning behind the bars.** "I could try to train you, so you won't be beaten again."**

Naruto looked at Kyuubi, traces of hope in his eyes. "Can you do that?"

**"I'm not sure of the limitations behind the seal, but I can try all the same."**

"What if I removed the seal?"

**"No! That would possibly kill us both. The risk is too high. I will find a way Naruto, I give you my word."**

Naruto smiled, the first smile since he could remember. That alone made it all worth while for Kyuubi.

**"One more thing Naruto. You should be aware of your heritage, since you haven't been told yet. Another crime on the list against this village."**

Naruto looked to Kyuubi. "You know my parents?"

Kyuubi nodded solemnly. **"I did. You are aware that the forth Hokage sealed me inside you, but you aren't aware that he sealed me into his only son. The forth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was your father."**

Naruto remained surprisingly impassive at that remark. Kyuubi had expected some sort of reaction at least, but there was none.

"And what of my mother?" There was no emotion in his voice now, the words flat.

**"Kushina Uzumaki, also known as the 'Red Death'."**

Naruto cast his eyes up, away from Kyuubi. "So both my parents were strong figures of their time, both sacrificing themselves to save the village at my cost."

Kyuubi shook its head. **"Not quite Naruto. While Minato's life was taken during the sealing, such was the price to pay, Kushina survived. Although where she is remains a mystery. She wasn't in any of your memories."**

"That means my father made a selfish sacrifice that ruined the life of his son, while my mother simply left me behind. Loyalty doesn't seem to run in my family."

**"It would appear so. Why your mother hasn't been around for you is very confusing. She definitely survived the sealing and the attack prior. She may have passed since then or, as you say, left you behind."**

Naruto was silent for an uncomfortable amount of time. Kyuubi waited for a response from the blonde, but one never came.

**"Naruto?"** Nothing. He simply stood before the cage, eyes unfocussed as he roamed his thoughts. He remained that way for a few minutes, until he abruptly vanished from view.

Kyuubi was left alone pondering what the kid was thinking. The only way to find out apart from asking was to 'alter' the seal. With a task at hand the fox began to work. The process would also allow Kyuubi to oversee Naruto as he lived, providing support where needed. And there was the possibility of taking over the child if things got out of hand that he couldn't deal with alone.

* * *

**A/N: First chapter. By now you should see a few differences with the original plot.**

**Sarutobi isn't as benevolent as canon, he actually sees Naruto in the same way as the Kazekage sees Gaara, a weapon. This offers a new perspective for future content.**

**Kushina wasn't killed alongside Minato. I know this has been used before but I wanted my own flair to this as well.**

**Also is Naruto's opinion of his parents. This may or may not have been used before but again I wanted this to help develop Naruto in a different light. Not to spoil it but the next chapter reinforces these points. You'll see what I mean next weekend.**

**I also felt that the relunctance to walk towards Kyuubi was more akin to a five year old than blind curiosity. Another little twist.**

**Well, that's all for me. If people wish to help me with this story and don't mind spoilers, send me a PM or visit my forum and leave me a comment. I have no objection to giving spoilers to those who don't mind them. Until next time...**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Chapter 2. Something new and quite frankly disturbing happens here. I have seen this used many times before by other writers, but never in this manner. If I scar anyone, sorry (Muhaha)**

* * *

The Life of the Hunted

Chapter 2

Sarutobi sat at his desk filling in more of his paperwork as usual when a knock sounded against his door. With a sigh he moved the papers aside and sat straight.

"Enter."

The door opened to admit a female member of the civilian council. Each time one of the civilians entered his office Sarutobi knew there was a headache looming for him. He braced himself for the latest rant.

"Hokage-sama." Sarutobi blinked in surprise at the formality. "There's something that has come to our attention regarding two of our clans in Konoha."

"And what might that be?" His interest was always spiked when news of clans was discovered.

The civilian brushed back a lock of hair. "Clans Namikaze and Uzumaki were believed to be wiped out in the Kyuubi attack. We have come across information that this isn't true. One individual is heir to both these clans."

Sarutobi's eyes widened slightly. "You have a name?"

"Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze."

Sarutobi sat back in his chair. "The weapon. Who would have thought? But then again Minato wasn't the kind to use another parents' child for sealing like that, it's typical of him."

"I believe, as do many others who share this knowledge, that Naruto should be used to replenish these clans. Konoha will be feared again with the Uzumaki and Namikaze clans at full strength."

"Very true, but he is too young for that. He hasn't developed enough to be eligible for clan restoration."

"We have someone available who can 'solve' that issue by forcing his body to mature enough overnight, after which he will be fully able to comply. The clans must take priority Hokage-sama."

"And they do." Sarutobi nodded. "Very well. Do what you need to do, I will have Naruto brought to the holding cells. I doubt he will be willing so restraints will be required. "

The civilian left to begin the preparations. The thought of restarting two of Konoha's most known and feared clans made Sarutobi giddy with excitement. He would place his village back on top once more. If the weapon had to be sacrificed to achieve that, so be it.

* * *

Naruto woke in his hide away, the knowledge from his exchange with the Kyuubi fresh in his mind. His stomach reminded him of his hunger as he crawled out into the alley proper. It was dark again, he would almost certainly be attacked tonight. Just like every other night. The difference now is he knew why.

He crept to the end of the alley and glanced around. No one was close by at the moment so he snuck onto the street. He had taken no more than five steps when a figure appeared in front of him.

"Naruto, you will come with me."

This figure was dressed in what the blonde knew to be ANBU gear, the animal mask confirming it. This one resembled a bear.

"W-Why?"

"I am not at liberty to say, but you will come with me." Bear held their hand out for Naruto to hold.

The gesture seemed friendly enough, but he had never been given a friendly gesture before. Alarm bells rang inside his head as he reached forwards. Even if it felt wrong he had no choice but to do as he was asked.

As soon as he took the hand offered to him they disappeared, appearing inside a locked cell. Before Naruto could ask what was going on he found himself chained to a wall, the cold metal making him shiver. Bear looked down upon him.

"You carry the DNA of two powerful clans, two clans we need back in Konoha. It is your duty to spread that DNA around to prevent these clans from dying out entirely."

Naruto sat with fear in his eyes. He wasn't entirely sure of what that meant. Bear left soon after they finished speaking, leaving Naruto chained and alone.

Seeing his situation the blonde began to weep again, eventually crying himself to sleep once more.

* * *

He woke again inside the sewer. Perhaps the Kyuubi might know what was going on. He ran through the water towards the cage, sighting the beast within. He stopped before the bars, regaining his breath.

"K... Kyuubi... Sama..."

**"Breathe Naruto, and stop with the sama stuff. What's gotten into you?"**

Naruto fought for air. "They said... I have DNA Of two clans... They want to... Restart... What do... They mean?"

Naruto saw the Kyuubi's eyes flash with anger. **"They wouldn't dare!"**

"Dare what?"

**"They plan on using you as a breeding machine, impregnating as many women as possible to produce children. But you're far too young for that. They must be planning on making your reproductive organs mature far faster than normal, how is unknown but I do know it's extremely dangerous. There will be extreme pain, possibly death if done too fast. Not to mention the acts that will inevitably follow."**

Naruto blanched with fear. "I-Is there nothing you can do to stop it?"

Kyuubi looked down on Naruto with pity. **"There is a way, but I can only do it after they alter you. All I need to do is flood the necessary organs with my youki and make you sterile. I can undo the damage later if required, but it will prevent you from producing children. However it won't stop the women from trying. I'm sorry Naruto, it's all I can offer."**

Naruto gave a weak look of gratitude. "It's more than anyone else will do Kyuubi. Thank you." He would have said more but he was pulled from his mind as he was woken violently in the cell.

Kyuubi wore a concerned look as it went back to studying the seal. Naruto needed help fast.

* * *

Naruto woke with a start as two people pinned him down, removing the rags he wore on his small frame. Chakra streamed into him, focused on his lower regions. Intense pain flooded his senses and caused him to scream out against it. One of the people gagged him to shut him up before resuming whatever they were doing.

The whole process lasted for hours, most of the night had passed before they left him. His body still burned with agony but it was slowly fading. He glanced down at himself but saw no obvious differences.

He felt Kyuubi's youki move through him again, just like it did whenever he got injured. This time though there were no injuries to heal. The youki stopped around his lower regions before a single sharp pain jolted through him. It was over as quick as it started as the youki returned to whence it came.

Naruto tried to cover himself with the rags he previously wore, now torn and shredded where the people had torn them off him. He shivered against the cold air, awaiting whatever else was due to come his way.

* * *

Sarutobi sat at his desk as soon as he arrived for the day. There was a note on the table stating that Naruto was ready. He summoned Bear into the room.

"Yes Hokage-sama?"

"Inform the candidates that Naruto is ready. Make the appropriate arrangements and begin as soon as possible."

Bear bowed. "At once Hokage-sama."

As soon as the ANBU had left, Sarutobi allowed his greedy smirk to return. _'Two of the most powerful clans will soon be ours again Konoha. We will be feared once more.'_

* * *

The cell door opened at a few hours before midday, or so Naruto guessed. A single female entered the room before the door closed again. There wasn't anything special about her, just another face in a crowd. She approached with a bored expression on her face before kneeling before the blonde.

"Don't think for a minute that I'll take any enjoyment from this, demon. I have a duty to uphold, as do you."

Naruto gulped as she swiped away his rags. He tried his best to simply ignore what was going to happen as the female dropped her lower garments and straddled him. He was far too young to appreciate the female body or the act he was being forced into, making it easy for him to overlook the details that most eligible males would crave for.

A hand roughly seized his altered masculinity before something warm and slightly wet surrounded it. He didn't need to look to know what was going on now.

The female began to rise and fall on him, not caring for subtly or delicacy with her actions. She just wanted this over with so the next female could perform her duty. But as much as she didn't want to, she began to enjoy the feeling of his altered member inside her.

Because of the work done to him during the night he was far over the usual proportions of someone his age, most males would be very jealous if they knew a five year old possessed something of this calibre. She tried to deny herself from her build up, but failed. She ended up emptying her release over the boy's small frame as she continued. Twice more she climaxed before she felt him tense inside her.

Naruto was in hell. What she was doing to him was causing a burning all over his body. There was simply no way he could find any enjoyment from this, how anyone else could was a mystery. It hurt so much. It only got more unpleasant when a substantial amount of fluid cascaded over his lower body. He refused to search for the source as it meant looking at what was going on. His stomach was already churning without the visual aid to throw up.

Twice more the fluid flooded onto him, the third time did cause him to throw up to his right. He felt something surge within himself, yielding more pain as he felt something leave his altered member. The female on him seemed to stop at the same time, a silent gasp escaping her.

She remained that way for a few seconds before slowly rising from him. He refused to look at her as she dressed herself again and left the cell, leaving him alone, naked and covered in some sort of fluid. He still refused to look at himself.

Tears fell from his eyes as the agonising pain still course around him. He passed out soon after.

* * *

Two more females visited him that day, the first having to leave straight away as he was still unconscious. He couldn't perform as required if he wasn't conscious. The second female though was able to do what was needed, making the blonde pass out for the second time that day.

Sarutobi sat at his desk as the ANBU assigned as Naruto's door guard stood before him.

"It seems his body can't handle the strain being placed on him. He passes out soon after the candidates leave. I already had to turn one woman away as a result, she has rescheduled for tomorrow."

Sarutobi sighed. "I see. So we are limited to two a day, with a good few hours in between sessions. Pity, that will slow things considerably. I am surprised though that the weapon lacks the stamina to continue on. I thought he would have gained that from having the demon sealed within."

Bear nodded. "That was my assumption as well. On closer inspection though it seems the fox is only able to heal wounds. The boy has gained nothing else as a benefit or otherwise from the sealing."

"Continue to watch him, inform me of any other details."

"Yes Hokage-sama."

* * *

Naruto shivered in the night. His rags were discarded across the room, easily out of his reach.

Inside the seal Kyuubi was still trying to alter the seal. There was some progress when a few sensations not belonging to the fox drifted in, mostly pain and sorrow. This made the fox angry and redouble its efforts to help the boy. It would be slow but eventually Naruto would get the help he needed.

Naruto was simply slumped on the floor, the only position the chains allowed him to be in. He couldn't even close his legs or use his arms to warm himself against the cold drafts that washed over him. His body felt numb with the pain and cold, he just wished he could die and be free of this.

He rubbed his wrists against the shackles, the rough metal cutting into his skin slowly. Blood seeped down the chains and dripped onto the floor. Each cut he made was healed by Kyuubi's youki as soon as it bled. He rubbed harder, trying to cut faster than the youki could heal. It didn't work.

He gave up with a cry of despair, opting to just lay where he was and accept his fate. He glanced down briefly, ignoring his previous vow, and saw the monstrosity that had replaced his masculinity. Grossly disproportionate to his tiny frame he found it hard to believe it possible to possess something like that. He cried at his disfigured body, the scars he wore only adding to the ugly look he had.

_'What have they done to me?'_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Right, this chapter marks where I'm flexing my originality. The differences will be obvious as they come up but I am still keeping to some of the various plot arcs that arrive later on. Others will be replaced with more fitting ones as needed, but also there will be a fairly high amount of OCs entering later too. This is due to where the story is heading, but if people know of suitable canon characters then please let me know. The less OCs I use the better.**

* * *

The Life of the Hunted

Chapter 3

Two weeks passed like this for Naruto. He was subject to his 'duty' twice a day, each time with a different female and each time he passed out afterwards. He hadn't eaten or drank properly during that week, his energy was low. How he was still alive baffled him.

Kyuubi was still working on the seal. More of the boy's sensations were filtering through now, the fox acutely aware of each agonising experience Naruto was forced to endure. They had exchanged a few words during the occasional lapse Naruto had when he retreated inside his mind, most of their conversations were Kyuubi's attempts to provide the blonde with some comfort.

He currently laid chained to the floor, in the same position he was put in on day one, shivering from the cold air. He wished for an end to his life. An escape from the hell he was feeling. A way out. Something. _Anything._

The cell door opened yet again, another female entering. Naruto fought back the new tears as she prepared herself and impaled her body on his mutated appendage.

* * *

Sarutobi paced back and forth behind his desk in his office. Bear stood opposite, awaiting his response. The Hokage glanced to his ANBU.

"Are they all certain of this?"

Bear nodded. "Yes Hokage-sama. Each female has confirmed that they aren't pregnant after seeing Naruto."

Sarutobi sighed. "What does this mean?"

"If I may offer an observation Hokage-sama, I believe the boy to possibly be sterile. For all these females to have failed in becoming pregnant, it rules out any other reason."

"Can you fix this?"

Bear shook his head. "Personally no, and I have already consulted with the medical staff. No one has a solution. I don't think Naruto will ever have children."

Sarutobi sighed deeper this time. "Very well. You may as well release him. Continuing this is pointless now."

"Yes Hokage-sama."

* * *

Naruto regained consciousness to find himself in an alley. His head whipped round him, confusion reigning in his head. He had been released from the cell and left here, still without clothing. The smell of the many females who had visited him still pungent in his nose. His lower body was slightly crispy from all the dried fluid. He did his best to ignore it.

He rose slowly, muscles protesting from the sudden use after so much neglect. Faint cracking sounds emitted from the dried fluids covering him. He couldn't take it anymore, he threw up where he stood. Well he would have done if he had anything to bring up. Instead he dry heaved over and over.

Once he had recovered and successfully blotted out the thoughts of his own body he surveyed the alley. He managed to retrieve 'fresh clothing' to hide himself better but couldn't find food. He needed another alley first.

Carefully he snuck out of the alley he was in and headed for the area that held the most promise for food. He avoided open areas this time due to the insecurities of his body. It took him a long time but he eventually found his way safely to the alleys.

A quick rummage through the waste yielded a few scraps that took the edge of his hunger but nothing more. Sighing in defeat again he left to return to his hide away. After crawling inside he settled down again to sleep.

His dreams were plagued with his parents, more so the knowledge he had gained from the Kyuubi about them. How his father had condemned him to this life of torture. How his mother had abandoned him for whatever corner she now resided in.

Uzumaki. Namikaze. Two names that meant nothing to him except hurt, pain and loneliness.

Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. He hated that name now. One linked him to a legend who doomed his life, the other left him. He dropped the two names, only keeping his first name as his identity. He wanted nothing to do with his parents and everything that came with them. What right did they have to call him their son now?

Naruto woke more troubled than when he first went to sleep. He couldn't take it anymore.

He pushed himself out of his hole and vacated the alley. His mind was set, this village held nothing but hatred towards him. This was the home of his parents, not him. This was the place that hated him, not thanked for his forced sacrifice. He could not, _would_ not stay here. And he knew exactly where to go, inflicting the most damage on Konoha in the process.

He wasn't a smart kid, but everyone knew something. He happened to know of some feuds between different parties, snippets of conversation overheard from others in the village. He was about to jeopardise the future of the village he hated so much.

He slipped out through the gate, the guards not caring a damn as he passed by, and walked off into the distance.

It took him a long time, being a five year old, but eventually he made it to the border. With a weighted step of determination he left Fire country and entered Earth country, heading for Konoha's long time enemy. Iwa.

* * *

"We have lost track of Naruto, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi faced the ANBU, perplexed. "A five year old boy evaded you inside this village, one you know so well?"

Bear nodded grimly. "It would seem so, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi couldn't believe what he was hearing. A child evading his ANBU... "He can't have gone far, check the alleys. That's where he normally hides." _'The weapon is learning. He will indeed be a powerful tool for Konoha.'_

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

* * *

Naruto walked through the gate into Iwa. The guards didn't seem bothered that a five year old wearing rags had entered the village. He stood just inside, studying the area.

It had taken him a week to get here. But now that he had arrived it seemed worth it. Here he was a nobody, at least he wouldn't be hated.

He didn't get a lot of time to think as a figure approached him. Instinctively he put his arms up to protect himself, preparing for the first strike.

"Woah, easy there. I won't hurt you." Naruto looked up through his arms into the kind looking face of a young female. "I haven't seen you here before, where are you from?"

Naruto didn't answer the question. "Can I see your Kage?"

"You mean the Tsuchikage?" He nodded. "May I ask why?"

Naruto hung his head. "I want a home."

The female took in his appearance again, seeing the rags and malnourished body beneath. A sense of pity formed inside her, granting her temporary conviction. "Follow me, I'll make sure he sees you."

They walked to the Kage palace and were granted passage. The building itself was like the rest of the village, carved entirely out of stone. The tower itself was the tallest building within the village, the conical roof an iconic feature. Once outside the Tsuchikage's office the woman knocked once.

An old gravelly voice came from the other side. "What is it?"

"There's a young boy here who wishes to see you Tsuchikage-sama."

A sigh sounded. "Send him in."

The door opened as Naruto was gently pushed inside, closing behind him. The young boy looked into the old face of the Tsuchikage, Konoha's most revered enemy.

A figure of power despite his obvious age. He seemed to reflect the nature of the village itself, old yet still standing strong. His well built frame bespoke his strength as he sat behind his desk. His white hair and moustache framed his aged face, his short stature also relaying his age.

The man studied the boy as well, seeing the rags with a distasteful look on his face. He also saw the numerous scars and over pronounced bones that marked malnutrition.

He clenched his fists. "This is unacceptable. No one should be living like this in my village. How may others are there like you boy?"

Naruto shook his head. "I'm not from this village."

This triggered an alarm bell in the Tsuchikage's head. "Then why are you here?"

"I want a home. Somewhere that doesn't hate me for who I am. Somewhere that doesn't beat me and try to kill me daily." If it wasn't for the scars on the boy's body the Tsuchikage wouldn't have believed those words. "I know you have a feud with another village but I want you to hear what and who I am."

That caught the man by surprise. "What does that mean?"

Naruto sighed. "I am Naruto, jinchuuriki of the nine tailed fox, Kyuubi."

It took a second for the Tsuchikage to make the connection. "You're a Konoha ninja! Tell me why I shouldn't have you killed!" He reached for a weapon.

"Because I'm not a ninja, and Konoha hates me as much as I now hate them. There's nothing there for me."

The conviction alone stayed the man's hand. He recalled the earlier words and the boy's visual appearance. "They did this to you?" Naruto nodded. The Tsuchikage dropped his hostility like a hot knife. "Konoha or not, no one should have to live like that. Iwa is your home should you wish so." Naruto's eyes lit with hope. "Just one thing though, where are your parents?"

Naruto scowled, startling the man. "My_ father_," he spat the word, "sealed the fox inside me without pausing to consider the outcome of my life. His own life was taken as a result, he got what he deserved." The Tsuchikage knew who sealed the fox, this boy was his son. But Naruto seemed to harbour no good feelings for the man responsible for his situation and so many deaths in Iwa in years past. "My mother, if she lives, abandoned me just as quickly. Her body wasn't found so she could still be alive, although she can stay and rot wherever she is." He also knew who his mother likely was, again the boy had no fond feelings towards her. He hated his own parents, the Tsuchikage could use that.

Naruto's arrival could tip the balance of power heavily in his favour. All he needed to do to ensure his loyalty was provide the one thing Konoha failed to give.

A family.

The man sighed, sitting deep into his chair. "Naruto. I cannot hope to fully understand what you have been through. Truth be told I'm not sure I'll survive knowing either, your scars are enough to send chills down my spine. I wish I could say that a family will take you in quickly, but I don't think that will happen. Not because of who or what you are, but because the people of Iwa are as stubborn as the rock itself. Adoption is rare in this village, mostly because there aren't any orphans here." Naruto wore a dejected look. "However I can offer you something else."

Naruto snapped his head up. "What's that?"

"I have a granddaughter of my own who is frequently left out of the world. My job as Tsuchikage has kept me from her for too long. Her mother was taken from us by illness, while her father is was lost during a previous war. I am all she has and even I can't be with her as much as she needs me to. I would like to adopt you myself, both to give you a home and a family, and to give my granddaughter a brother."

Naruto's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I would like that very much."

The Tsuchikage smiled an uncharacteristic smile. He stood from his chair, not gaining much height due to his short stature, and walked round to Naruto. He extended a hand to the blonde boy. "Let me take you to your home Naruto."

Naruto took the hand offered to him and allowed himself to be lead out of the office. The Tsuchikage waved to his secretary.

"I'll be unavailable for a bit while I help our newest resident here settle in. Hold any messages for me."

"Of course Tsuchikage-sama."

Naruto followed the man as he took them through the palace, stopping before an elaborate set of doors. Once opened the blonde got his first look at the place he would be calling home.

It wasn't anything special but it definitely beat the alleys he was used to. The rooms were clean and well furnished. There was plenty of food to go around for days on end, even a shower for getting the dirt off one's body. A luxury Naruto hadn't had before. He was so overwhelmed at what he saw before him that he failed to see the small girl standing in front of them.

"Who's this Jiji?"

Her pink eyes stared in wonder at Naruto, her black hair framing her young face. She stood a few inches taller than the blonde and had the air of innocence that all children should possess, an air Naruto had lost years ago.

The Tsuchikage smiled again. "This is Naruto. He will be staying with us from now on. He's going to be your brother Kurotsuchi."

"My new nii-san?"

"Yes Kurotsuchi, your new nii-san."

Naruto began to feel slightly awkward as the attention drifted to him. He shifted his weight multiple times and dropped his head a little, unsure of what to do. A few drops of water appeared on the floor by his feet. The Tsuchikage frowned slightly at his reaction.

Kurotsuchi also frowned, bending down to get a better look at Naruto's face. "Jiji? What's wrong with nii-san?"

Naruto dropped his head further to hide his face from her. He felt the Tsuchikage place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's all right Naruto. You have a family now."

"I know... Thank you..."

Those words were all he could say. The man guided him towards an empty bedroom, now allocated to the blonde, and sat him on the bed.

"This will be your room all right? I have to go back to the office for a bit but I will come back soon. Kurotsuchi will still be here should you need anything, but I think you want to be alone for now, yes?" Naruto nodded slowly, still hanging his head. "All right. I'll leave you for now. Don't think your alone anymore Naruto, we are both here for you now."

The Tsuchikage left him, ushering Kurotsuchi out with him and giving Naruto the space he needed. More tears left the blonde's eyes after he was on his own. He had a home, a family. Two things he felt impossible despite what he originally asked for when he arrived here. To actually have those things brought tears of joy to his eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Next chapter is here. If anyone reads this and my other fic, I'm dropping the update frequency to once a week (Wednesday) due to a lack of interest. There hasn't been many alerts for it since the start of the month so I'm slowing down the progress to focus on other, more successful stories.**

* * *

The Life of the Hunted

Chapter 4

The Tsuchikage walked away from the room now belonging to Naruto after closing the door. Kurotsuchi walked beside him.

"Jiji? Why is nii-san crying?"

He sighed, turning to his granddaughter with a sad smile. "Naruto comes from a place that wasn't very kind to him Kurotsuchi. He didn't have very much before coming here. He has a lot of sadness in his heart."

Kurotsuchi's face dropped. "Naruto, nii-san. But Jiji, he has us now right?" She turned her sad face to the Tsuchikage.

He smiled again, but a genuine one. "Yes Kurotsuchi. He has us now. He has his own Jiji and a nee-chan to help him."

She smiled in return. "Yeah. I'll help nii-san every day!"

He widened his smile and rubbed her head. "I know you will. We both will."

* * *

The Tsuchikage returned from his office at the end of the day. Pushing open the door to his home he listened for any sounds from the two inhabitants he lived with. He heard none.

He went to the bedrooms to find Naruto's door still firmly closed. This troubled him slightly. He decided to leave him be for now.

He returned to the main area of the home and found Kurotsuchi sitting on the floor as she usually did, staring into space. She noticed him approach.

"Hi Jiji."

He smiled back. "You been behaved today Kurotsuchi?" She nodded as usual. He knew she never got into trouble but he made a habit of asking to show interest. "Has Naruto left his room yet?"

"No Jiji, nii-san hasn't come out at all."

The Tsuchikage frowned at this. He glanced back in the direction of Naruto's room before sighing.

"I'm sure he'll be fine Kurotsuchi. Let's start dinner shall we?"

Contrary to popular belief the Tsuchikage is a hands on type of person. He prefers doing things for himself rather than having others do it for them. So most people find it hard to believe when he plays a major role in preparing meals with his granddaughter. It helps him to forget his age.

Half way through their preparations someone knocked on the door. The Tsuchikage left Kurotsuchi to continue as he dealt with the visitor. He opened the door to see his chief ANBU awaiting him.

"Tsuchikage-sama, I apologise for the disturbance."

The man sighed. "For the last time, when I'm not working don't address me as my title."

The ANBU bowed. "My apologies again Onoki-sama."

"What is it you wish to see me about?"

The ANBU straightened again. "There are rumors of a newcomer to the village. I was making sure if you knew of them or not."

"I am aware, and they are true. We have gained a new member to the village, one who currently lives in this very house."

"Oh? May I ask who Onoki-sama?"

Onoki faced the ANBU seriously. "The son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, the jinchuuriki of the nine tailed fox, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze."

The ANBU looked torn between violence and confusion. "Onoki-sama, need I point out the danger this Naruto places Iwa in?

His eyes narrowed slightly. "You needn't bother. He is a resident of Iwa, nothing else."

"But Onoki-sama-"

"But nothing." He cut the ANBU off with a wave of his hand. "His father is dead and his mother left him alone. He has been seriously ill treated by Konoha to the point where he loathed the village he was forced to sacrifice himself for. He came to us for a home, a life. I will give him exactly that, for we will gain a significant advantage over Konoha as a result. However he will not be a weapon to be set loose on our enemies. He is a child, a human just like us. He has feelings, desires, hopes. Konoha tried to smash those, I will not make the same mistake they did."

The ANBU relaxed slightly. "If you feel this is best Onoki-sama then I will not pursue the issue. However, what shall we do if Konoha comes asking for the boy?"

"Naruto is an Iwa resident, we will defend him as one of our own. Actually, you can spread your own rumors around. Let it slip who this new resident is, his origins and parentage, and I will address the village as soon as he has settled in."

"Of course Onoki-sama. I shall leave you to your evening."

The ANBU left as Onoki closed the door and returned to Kurotsuchi. They resumed their work without any words, Kurotsuchi knew her grandfather received visitors after he got back so was used to the disturbances. She never asked about them.

Eventually Onoki got concerned enough about Naruto that he decided to check on him. Leaving Kurotsuchi to finish up he made his way to the blonde's room.

* * *

Naruto laid curled on the floor beside the bed. Having a bedroom was an alien concept for him, the bed beside him didn't seem right for sleeping in or on. The floor he was used to, so he stuck with what he knew.

Inside the seal the Kyuubi had made further progress. Naruto's absence had concerned the fox to such an extent that it was devoting all its time to altering the seal so the beast could gain proper access to the boy's senses, and communicate mentally once the link was established. It would all take time but, seeing as Naruto had last come before the cage in such a state about being a breeding machine, time didn't seem like a luxury they had.

Naruto had fallen asleep a few minutes after he was left in his room. He was exhausted from all the travelling he had done to reach Iwa and the lack of food had severely weakened him, as if his malnourished body wasn't enough of a sign for that. His sleep was so deep that he managed to avoid being pulled into his mind with Kyuubi. The fox had tried to bring him before it but ultimately failed, partly because of the seal's restrictions and partly because the boy was sound asleep.

His dreams, as usual, were plagued with dark images of torture and death. Despite experiencing all of this first hand he still found terror in the mental images, the pain felt so real. He dreamt of being set aflame as people simply watched, some cheering at his demise. He dreamt of having his blood drained from his body, powerless to do anything as his life essence was taken from him. Having every bone shattered in his body. Having his head crushed by a mob of people. Almost every way to die was concocted in his head, each one more gruesome than the previous. Rape, mutilation, his mind reeled from all the mental pain he was feeling.

He tried to scream but no sounds escaped his mouth. He then realised his mouth was glued shut, the skin flowing like water to permanently keep him silent. His eyes were forced shut, the skin around them also flowing over those dull blue orbs. His ears dropped off his head, the skin where they once were unmarked by any features. His face melted away, his head becoming a smooth mass of flesh and hair. He panicked like never before as his fingers faded into his hands, stumps at the end of his shrinking arms. His body became a single mass of flesh, every appendage merging with the lump he was becoming.

Back in the seal the room began to shake violently. Kyuubi stopped its work as cracks began to form across the walls and floor, great chunks of the roof collapsing on itself. Rubble piled on the fox as realisation dawned on it. The boy's mind was breaking down, something was literally tearing it apart.

Panicking as much as its container the fox threw its youki at the seal, trying to bring Naruto out of whatever was happening to him. If Kyuubi couldn't rouse the boy then both of them were in serious trouble.

* * *

Onoki knocked on Naruto's door but no reply came. Worried he opened the door, searching for the blonde. He had expected to see him in or on the bed so became more concerned when the bed was empty. He had no time to wonder why as he heard a sound from the other side of the bed.

He entered the room fully, walking round the bed to where he heard the noise. On the floor, curled into a tight ball, was Naruto's shaking form.

The boy was clearly in distress, his eyes wandered aimlessly under closed lids. His fists were clenched so hard he drew blood, flecks of red scattered on and all around him. His mouth was contorted into an expression of great pain, froth foaming through clenched teeth. His entire body shook violently despite being curled up. The whole image was terrifyingly to behold.

Onoki dropped beside Naruto and gripped him with his strong grip. He shook him hard but not violently to rouse him.

"Naruto. Wake up. It's just a dream. Wake up." Over and over he repeated the words, trying desperately to break through to his subconscious.

Naruto still refused to be drawn out from his imagined hell. His body was now a mass of flesh spreading across an unseen floor. An unbearable heat filled the air as parts of the mass burst into flame. Searing pain filled his mind as his silent screams went unheard, the smell of burning flesh all around him.

Kyuubi refused to abate its assault on the seal. If Naruto's mind broke he would fall into insanity, dragging the fox with it.

Onoki also continued to rouse the boy. It was plain to see that he was suffering some horrificly violent image in his dreams. He grew desperate, resorting to a more forceful shake.

"Naruto!"

Kurotsuchi was standing in the corner of the room. She had heard Onoki's desperate words and decided to investigate. Simple curiosity had exposed the girl to what lay before her. Her eyes were wide as fear gripped her. She had been told Naruto had a hard life so far, but seeing him like this scared her deeply.

"N-nii-san?"

* * *

Naruto's hell was continuing to drag him down into its depths. Each second brought a more horrific sensation. He couldn't take anymore.

"N-nii-san?"

That single, halting word broke through to him. One of concern, fear, worry. He hadn't really heard the word before today, not to him anyway. He knew what it meant, he had heard others address their family with it.

Brother.

He knew he hadn't any family of his own, this had to be Kurotsuchi. His new family. The Tsuchikage was his own Jiji, Kurotsuchi his nee-chan. They may not be of his blood, or even from the same village as him, but they were family. They had taken him in where no one else would. It had only been a few hours but they both had shown more care and concern than anyone else in the five years he has lived.

Nii-san. Brother. His sister was worried, calling to him. Begging him to come to her. Naruto didn't know much about being a brother, but he knew he had to try.

Like a veil lifting from his vision, his nightmarish dreams faded. He woke slowly from his deep sleep.

Kyuubi noticed the shaking had stopped, but it knew it hadn't been the cause of it. Something had calmed Naruto in a way the fox couldn't, the seal might have had something to do with it. It relaxed within the cage, still wary in case this calm wasn't permanent.

Onoki watched as the boy became still, all traces of his fit slowly fading. Kurotsuchi approached them both, kneeling beside her grandfather.

"Nii-san?"

Onoki placed a comforting arm around the girl, both watching as the newest addition to their family began to wake.

His eyes opened slowly, registering two blurred faces before him. Instinctively he braced himself for the beating that usually followed. Onoki placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's all right Naruto. You're safe here."

The blonde recalled where he was a second later. He dropped his makeshift defensive stance and looked into the faces of his family. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

"N-nee-chan, Jiji."

The first few words uttered by the boy since he was given his room, ones addressing his family. Onoki smiled before pulling the boy into a reassuring embrace, Kurotsuchi joined in as well. Both trying to comfort Naruto as best as they could.

Said blonde just sat where he was while his family embraced him. He wasn't used to such contact but found it reassuring. Slowly he returned the gesture, making sure to include both his Jiji and his nee-chan. A small smile formed on his lips.

Within the seal the Kyuubi had sufficiently altered the seal to get a glimpse of Naruto's mind. It saw the dreams he had moments ago and the current state of his physical body. A sigh of relief escaped it seeing him taking comfort from those around him as they provided it. It didn't know how he had gotten into this situation so the fox began to review the boy's recent memories for itself, seeing as it now had limited access to those.

Naruto broke off a little, the other two backing off to see him properly. He looked between them both, eyes not fixing on either for more than a few seconds.

Onoki replaced his comforting hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right now Naruto?"

He nodded. "Yes Jiji."

Kurotsuchi shuffled next to him and brought him into a brother-sister hug. "Nii-san!"

Naruto returned the hug. "Nee-chan."

Onoki smiled at the two children. This is the life Naruto should be living. He had given the boy this chance, seeing it work before him made him feel good about himself. He had also given his granddaughter someone else in life to keep her company.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Chapter 5. Review anwering time:**

**'Aki Sou' - Thanks for pointing that out. Google didn't yeild me much love before but I think I'm correct in saying that younger brother is 'otooto-san'? Google says so but please correct me if I am wrong with the right terminology, and any future ones I get wrong...**

**'crimsontaicho' - Pairings and 'lemons' (I hate that word) will not be disclosed until if/when they happen, I feel they ruin the flow if people expect that content and rush forwards just to see it. The speed is there for a reason, too many people skip most of Naruto's childhood and miss out on a great deal of oppourtunities or character development. There are time skips planned for this (one being in the next chapter by the way) but they don't miss out on much so I can use the chances I get to detail the changes in more subtle steps. As for emotional drama, isn't mass rape enough? Yes there are more events lined up just like every other story, but at least for now I want Naruto to get a but happier before anything else gets fired at him. God-like Naruto and/or any kind of harem is entirely out of the question. Older women also. I am a loyal person when it comes to relationships and the mere thought of a harem just makes me cringe. Older women are just wrong at his age and set up, and I can't disclose if he has a relationship or not or who with because it's a major spoiler.**

**'Guest' (please use a more unique name so I can address you more directly)- Yes it is gruesome but not original. Many people have used some of what I have written before, I just amped it up by a fair bit to bring Naruto down to a very low point to justify his resultant actions of leaving Konoha for Iwa.**

**'Ryden Purrson' - I feel rape is used a fair bit in Naruto fan fictions but the scale of the emotional damage is severely negated. I wanted to reinvent the meaning behind it all and draw in readers to exactly how Naruto _should_ be feeling about the ordeal. I think I managed to justify how it all worked in a convincing manner, those Jutsu can do strange things...**

**Everyone else who reviewed, I haven't forgotten you. Your reviews were just praise of one form or another and I can't reply to those without sounding like I'm stroking my ego...**

**But as I said before, I need help here. As 'Aki Sou' pointed out about my terminologies, there are discrepencies with my knowledge. Iwa character names is another area. I only know of Onoki and Kurotsuchi (her parents are dead in this so I could use Onoki as a Sarutobi replacement in naruto's life) and as a result I'm already creating OCs to fill the various roles. Please, I beg of you all, send me something about Iwa characters so I can reduce the OC numbers. Naruto wikis don't yield anything except the ones I have already used.**

**Wow, long Author's Note here... But again thanks to all my reviewers/followers, and to all using Guest accounts to review: change the name to something unique so I can respond more accurately in future to your questions/comments.**

* * *

The Life of the Hunted

Chapter 5

Naruto stood overlooking the village. Standing on top of the roof to his home gave him a great view of all that lay beneath his vision. It had been a week since he had shuffled through those gates into Iwa, a week since he had been given a home with his new Jiji and nee-chan. A slight smile tugged at his lips, he had a family.

"Nii-san? You up there?"

Kurotsuchi's voice drifted up to him. He dropped down through an open window to see his sister standing in his room, facing the window he had used to get to the roof.

"Hi nee-chan."

She tapped her foot slightly. "I've been looking for you for like ages! Jiji said not to climb out the window."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head guiltily. "Sorry nee-chan. I just like the view."

Kurotsuchi sighed, in a strange way for a five year old girl. "Jiji wouldn't like it if you fell Naruto."

"I know, I said sorry."

She pouted. "So when are you going to play with me nii-san?"

Naruto blinked in confusion. "Play? What's play?"

Kurotsuchi faltered visibly. "You don't know how to play?" He shook his head. "Come on, I'll show you!"

She grabbed Naruto's hand and rushed him out of the room into the lounge. He had no say in where he was being led, she was slightly older than him and he was still fairly weak after his treatment in Konoha.

She stood him in the center of the room. "Now, we will play tag. All you have to do is touch me and say tag, and not get touched by me. Just don't run around too much, Jiji won't be happy if we broke something." Naruto nodded in understanding when Kurotsuchi tapped his shoulder and jumped back. "Tag!"

"Wha- that's not fair! I wasn't ready!"

Kurotsuchi gave him a cheeky wink. "Come tag me then nii-san!"

* * *

Onoki returned to his home for lunch as he had been doing since Naruto joined his family. He wanted to be sure he was settling in without any issues.

Iwa had already been informed of his arrival, and his current living situation. Their reactions were expected, a lot of unrest had rippled through the crowd until the Tsuchikage had explained his stance towards Konoha and his own parents. That had calmed them down, but there were still signs of unease.

Those signs had reduced over the week, most people seemed curious of Naruto more than weary now. Possibly the thought of having the jinchuuriki of the nine tailed fox as an ally had swayed them. He had been advised to nudge Naruto towards the academy for ninja training. Onoki didn't want to force the blonde into anything, but he would see if he took any interest in the idea.

Sighing and shaking the thoughts from his head he opened the door to his house, just in time to see Kurotsuchi fly past with a determined Naruto in pursuit.

"You're not being fair nee-chan!"

Kurotsuchi just giggled as she ran from the boy, unaware of Onoki standing in the doorway.

Clearing his throat got their attention, stopping them in their tracks. "Kurotsuchi, Naruto, what's going on?"

Kurotsuchi smiled. "We are playing tag Jiji. I had to teach Naruto how though."

Onoki was thankful he had a laid back stance towards raising his grandchild, that had extended to Naruto as well. "I see. Well then, as long as you're careful you may continue. I'll make lunch for us, should be ready in a few minutes."

"Thanks Jiji!" Kurotsuchi beamed before racing away again.

"Nee-chan!" Naruto wined before giving chase.

Onoki smiled to himself as he walked through to begin lunch. Seeing Naruto active for once was reassuring. He often returned home to find him shut in his room, Kurotsuchi had been worried about this as well. But slowly he had begun to open up, starting conversations and generally seeming more alive. The change was welcome especially for his granddaughter.

He shook his thoughts again as he prepared the food.

* * *

"Hokage-sama!"

Sarutobi jumped at the call. There was urgency in the tone. He turned to see Bear appear in his office.

"What is it? Have you found the weapon?"

Bear gulped. "We have, but that's the problem." There was a slight pause. "He's in Iwa."

Sarutobi's eyes widened. "What? How has he left the village without detection?"

"He didn't, two guards recalled seeing him leave two weeks ago but thought nothing of it. They don't remember seeing him return."

Sarutobi gripped the desk so hard it began to splinter. "Bring me the two guards. Take a team and get our weapon back, no excuses!"

"But Hokage-sama, that risks open war."

Sarutobi scowled. "They have a member of my village, my property. It is them who are risking war, not I. Get him back now!"

Bear bowed. "Yes Hokage-sama."

* * *

Four ANBU approached the border between Konoha and Iwa, bearing the symbol of fire country. Four more ninja were awaiting their arrival, these bearing the earth country insignia. A tense standoff formed between the two groups before a Konoha ANBU spoke.

"You have something that belongs to us. Return it."

An earth ninja scowled in response. "It? I assume you speak of the newest resident to Iwa." The ANBU nodded slightly. "For the record, _he_ approached us of his own free will and asked for a home. We have not taken anything from you, so we have nothing to return."

The ANBU unsheathed their weapons. "The weapon is property of Konoha."

"_Naruto_ is a resident of Iwa. He is not a weapon, he is a child. Now kindly leave before you risk a war you cannot win."

"What makes you so sure of that?"

Another earth ninja snorted. "Your numbers have lessened since the attack. And should Naruto be given the choice he will fight for Iwa. We have given him the things no one in Konoha did. A family. A home. A life." A sneer followed the words. "What makes you think he will fight for a village who gave him all those scars, physical and mental?"

The ANBU were left without words. Each one knew about Naruto's treatment in Konoha, the horrors he was exposed to on a daily basis. No one had stopped them happening. Was this the price they paid for their mistreatment?

Unable to find a counter argument they left, heading back to report to the Hokage.

* * *

"Nee-chan!" A long wine echoed through the house. Naruto was tired now, Kurotsuchi hadn't allowed him to tag her once before or after dinner. It was starting to get late as well. Kurotsuchi however was just as energetic as ever, Naruto still hadn't fully recovered from his previous ordeals.

A cheeky giggle drifted to him from his sister, a dark mop of hair just visible around a corner. Naruto knew that the moment he stepped towards her she would take off again, whizzing around the house far too fast for him in his state.

"Nee-chan, I'm tired..." He allowed his eyes to droop for proof, he had been forcing them open for a half hour already.

"Lazy more like. You're too slow nii-san!" Kurotsuchi's mocking voice called back.

Naruto decided to admit defeat, only to himself, as he turned away and went to his room. Kurotsuchi followed carefully, in case he was trying to trick her, but was quickly disappointed when he closed the door behind him. She heard no more from him then. Just like every other time he went to sleep, once that door was closed Naruto was silent.

She sighed and went back to the lounge, resigning to play by herself until Onoki returned.

Naruto though was asleep, but not how anyone expected him to be. He hadn't used a bed before coming to Iwa, hence he didn't know quite how to use it. He did know that sheets and other items were good for preserving warmth though. He had climbed into the pile of bedding he had stuffed into a corner of the room, he also knew corners were safer than anywhere else, and pulled the opening he used shut.

Wrapped up within the pile Naruto had allowed himself to drift off. Now he was floating in the realm of dreams. There were two halves to this realm. The half that held all the pleasant dreams, ones you would want to remember forever, and the half that held all the unpleasant ones. These could be simple fears or slight scares, or absolute hell within your own head. Several factors influenced these nightmares, Naruto's life so far had pushed his dreams for down the hellish scale. Each night now was plagued with the horrors from the deepest pits of his own imagination, some being grotesque mutations of previous events that his mind made seem countless times worse.

Each night Naruto struggled within himself, his nightmares causing great damage to his mental health. He may have been away from the enemies in Konoha, but now his greatest threat was himself. Or rather his mind.

Kyuubi was privy to these dreams now. After the first few the fox had managed to manipulate the seal further, allowing it to see the dreams Naruto had. They didn't bother the fox, but it saw how Naruto reacted to them. Further work was rushed on the seal until now when the demon fox could enter those dreams and influence them. That night was the first time Kyuubi did so.

Naruto was once again in a hell of his own creation. Flames licked all around his body, searing pain flaring through him. He tried to scream but his vocal chords were burnt away, painful rasps the only noise he could make. He watched the flames burn higher when they suddenly extinguished themselves, a cool breeze washing over him. The air soothed his body as his injuries vanished. Turning around to face the breeze he saw a figure, or rather a shape with nine flowing tails.

"Kyuubi?"

The voice of Kyuubi echoed all around him. "It is I Naruto. I have managed to enter your dreams after considerable work on the seal. Sleep now, I will watch over you. Nothing can harm you while I am with you."

Naruto felt his dreams become calm, lulling him into a restful sleep. His mind emptied everything except himself and Kyuubi. He couldn't seem to remove the fox, as if he had no control over it. Kyuubi was really there, not a part of his dreams.

A smile formed on his lips, both in his mind and on his physical body. He drifted into a deep sleep, the first one of his life so far.

Kyuubi watched Naruto as he slept, warding off the evils of his own imagination. It stood vigil over the blonde, all nine tails sheltering him within his mind. They were soon back in the seal, those bars surrounding the fox again. But it didn't care about that. Naruto needed comfort during his sleep, Kyuubi would be there when no one else could. The fox couldn't prevent the smile from slowly creeping onto its lips as it watched the boy. It could finally make a difference to his life.

But there was still so much left to do. The seal needed so much more work. Kyuubi wished to communicate with Naruto without drawing him into the seal itself. It wished to view the world through his eyes, smell through his nose and hear through his ears. Taste his food as he ate and feel the warmth of the home he had. So much was left to do, each day seemed like another wasted chance to help Naruto. Progress was slow, but it was still progress.

For now though, Naruto could rest peacefully. Kyuubi had seen to that. It was a start.

* * *

Onoki returned home for dinner. He noticed the quiet house as he entered. Kurotsuchi was in the lounge alone, Naruto's door was closed. Onoki sighed.

"Hi Jiji!"

He smiled at her. "You been behaved Kurotsuchi?"

She nodded. "Yes Jiji. Naruto's gone to sleep though. I don't think we will see him until tomorrow. He got tired of tag I think." There was a dejected tone to her voice.

"Perhaps you're too fast for him at the moment. Don't forget that he has had a difficult life before coming here, he's not as fast as he could be at his age."

Kurotsuchi nodded slowly. "I just want nii-san to get better Jiji."

Onoki patted her shoulder. "We both do Kurotsuchi. We _all_ do."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Right, here we go. This marks the first OC to enter the story. I don't know of anyone else for this role so I'm going to have to roll with it. Just so you all know, the pronunciation of the name is: Ye - roo - gee - oh Naj - a - ma - ki. You'll see who it is in the first section.**

**Also, I feel it's worth mentioning that I'm working with NoirRenamon on this to keep things moving. My knowledge on Naruto isn't the strongest ever but I'll be damned if I let my work suffer as a result. If anyone else wants to offer/suggest/help with this, feel free to contact me and I'll see what we can set up.**

* * *

The Life of the Hunted

Chapter 6

Naruto walked down the road feeling very excited with the day he had ahead of him. It had been three months since he had first come to Iwa and found a family to call his own.

During this time he had become close with his Kurotsuchi and Onoki, been introduced to the various people of note within Iwa and been offered a position in the academy, where he was now heading for his first day. He may be exited, but deep within himself sat a massive pit of worry and apprehension. What if the people there didn't like him? What if they felt he shouldn't be a ninja because of where he was from or what he was? He hid his anxiety with a happy smile.

Kyuubi wasn't as excited though. Over the same time it had made next to no progress in any area of its desires. The seal was far stronger than it first thought. The interactions in Naruto's dreams had increased to the point where he no longer needed protection from himself, Kyuubi was proud to have played a part in that, but he still needed to be in front of the cage for the fox to talk to him. His senses weren't as stubborn though, Kyuubi could now sense slight sensations when Naruto did. Slight hints of smells and sounds, the faint signs of touch and taste. Sight was non existent at the moment, but in due time that would change.

But today was Naruto's day. The day he started, hopefully, training to be a ninja. On the outside he was an ordinary boy, his blonde hair blue eyes combo would catch many eyes of females in a few years. But inside, as most people knew now, there was a fragile frame holding a powerful demon. No one knew of the stance between Naruto and Kyuubi, but either way there was a lot of power inside his small body. He never did recover from his ill treatment, his growth stunted and his form still thin. Not the 'eye pleasing' thin, the 'unhealthy' kind of thin. His bones were too visible under his skin.

Naruto entered the academy, after being shown where to go, and stepped into the room he was assigned to. Inside were many children of a similar age to himself, already seated and looking at him. His anxiety took over with so many eyes studying him, His excitement fading into nothing. Somehow he regretted coming here already.

"Ah, you must be Naruto." The blonde's attention was diverted to the older ninja at the front of the class. "I will be your sensei for your duration here, for all of you that is. If you would like to take a seat I will introduce myself as a whole and we can begin."

Naruto nodded jerkily and scanned the room briefly. He spotted an empty seat with no one else nearby and took it. He was still weary of others, even now. He took this moment to study his sensei.

He stood about five foot five, average height apparently, with cropped black hair and brown eyes. His face was unremarkable save for the slight scar that drew a line from his left eye down his cheek. He wore a standard attire for Iwa, red clothing with a brown flak jacket over the top. He also wore mesh armour around his ankles to protect them, though from what Naruto didn't know. His head band sat around his forehead proudly.

"Right, now that we are all here we can begin. As I said just now I am your sensei for your time here. My name is Yerugio Najamaki, but Yerugio-sensei is most appropriate. Now, let us begin. The first thing to learn about being a ninja is the nature of Chakra, the power within yourselves..."

* * *

Onoki was getting tired of this. Yet again Konoha spies had been caught close to Naruto, his grandson in all but name and blood, and trying to abduction him for return to their village. The place that treated him as a tool for their own uses. Onoki still had no specific information on what life Naruto had there, but given the scars and the way he was in the early days in Iwa he really dreaded knowing. Somethings were better left unsaid. See the signs and fix the problem, leave the causes be.

He issued an ultimatum this time though, should another Konoha ninja be caught within Iwa grounds, their head will be returned to whence they came. The body a day or so after. Onoki couldn't make it any clearer.

He dismissed his ANBU with his orders and returned to other matters.

* * *

Sarutobi also wasn't having a good time. He had lost his weapon to his most hated rival and had nothing to fall back on. Konoha was recovering well from the Kyuubi attack but without the vessel within the walls he felt weak. And there was another problem.

She needed to know.

He knew that once word reached her he was in for a grilling. He sighed as he sent for his ANBU to deliver the message. Bear appeared soon after being summoned.

"Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi sighed again. "I need you to deliver a message to someone." Bear became quizzical about being used as a message runner until Sarutobi continued. "The message concerns the current status of the weapon, all details to be disclosed, to her."

"Her? With all due respect Hokage-sama, you can't be serious. If she found out-"

"_When_ she finds out you mean. We have kept this from her for too long. Perhaps she can offer a new light on how to retrieve the weapon, some unexplored angle to exploit."

Bear still protested. "Hokage-sama, you heard the ultimatum. Any further attempts to retrieve him will result in us losing ninja. Iwa have so far released all of our ninja alive, but if we continue we will be receiving corpses."

"Which is why we need a new approach. Deliver the message, she will likely return with you so we can discuss this properly." Sarutobi gained a calculating glint in his eyes. "We _will_ retrieve our property, one way or another."

* * *

Naruto sighed as he got back home. His first day had been tough but thoroughly enjoyable. He found the other kids disturbing, they just sat and watched him from a distance throughout the entire day. He felt uncomfortable and, despite enjoying himself with what he learnt, wasn't looking forward to going back. But he decided to stick with it for as long as possible, until he either passed or failed the exams or was asked to leave the academy.

He was also very tired, learning about the origins of chakra was a taxing ordeal.

He entered the home to see Kurotsuchi waiting for him. She had that same smile she wore when she wanted to play, but Naruto wasn't in the mood today.

"Hey nii-san! You gonna play tag with me now?"

Naruto shook his head. "No nee-chan, I'm tired. I'm going to bed."

And without another word he trudged into his room, closing the door behind him. Kurotsuchi followed him with her eyes, depressed that she couldn't play with Naruto again. She hadn't been able to do much with him over the three months he had been living there with her and Onoki. She had been told repeatedly about his previous treatment and how he had yet to recover properly.

His sleeping patterns had only recently calmed down to allow him to rest properly, but he still wasn't eating right. Food was never around him for very long as he crammed what he could into his mouth, only succeeding in making himself sick and bringing it all back up again. He still did this even now, after being told repeatedly about it. Some habits were hard to break.

She sighed and returned to the lounge, resigning to wait for Onoki to keep her company.

* * *

Naruto found himself in his mind again, standing before the cage Kyuubi was held in. Said fox was staring at him as usual, a steady amount of the beast's chakra flowing around it. Again this was all normal for the fox, Naruto had seen this since he had first appeared here.

**"Naruto. How went your first day?"** Kyuubi knew of Naruto's activities since the boy shared them regularly. That and it had access to his memories now, although it felt it more polite to ask than simply rummage through his mind. It also made conversation, and getting Naruto to talk was always a good thing.

Naruto didn't seem as happy as Kyuubi thought he would be though. "It was... Okay, I guess."

Kyuubi looked very surprised. **"Only okay? You were excited when you told me the first time. And the second, third... Forth..."**

"I get it Kyuubi. I was excited..."

**"But?"**

Naruto sat in the icy water, ignoring his own discomfort. "I don't know. The other kids didn't seem... Happy, that I was there. As if they don't want me to be a ninja." Kyuubi saw his distress and wrapped him with a tail, lifting him out of the water and bringing him level with an eye.

**"It's logical for them to be weary Naruto. They likely know of who you are, what you are and as a result they likely know of me. If you were a normal child, wouldn't you be even slightly cautious about someone who just appeared one day with a powerful demon sealed within them?"** Kyuubi felt like it was exaggerating its own power slightly, but it knew it was strong. The nine tails proved that.

Naruto nodded slowly. "I guess so... But it's not like I look scary, do I Kyuubi?"

The fox suppressed a look of amusement, slightly. **"Only if you want to be Naruto. But no, at the moment you don't look scary. But I am a demon and not much scares me anyway."**

Naruto looked interestingly at Kyuubi. "What does scare you Kyuubi?"

Said fox was taken aback by such a question. Normally that question wouldn't be answered, but the fox had grown close to the boy. And if it meant prolonging their conversation then the fox could accept that small price. **"Uh, not much. Shinigami, the death god, definitely has a scary sense about it, it sealed me after all. Snakes aren't pleasant, although there aren't any big enough to threaten me even if I want sealed. I think that's about it." **It didn't add the part about Naruto's death though, that _did_ scare Kyuubi. For his death meant the fox's death, a death laced with the failure of protecting him.

Naruto nodded. "I don't like snakes either." He shuddered within the tail. "What should I do Kyuubi? If the others don't want me there and ask me to go, what do I do?"

Kyuubi sighed. **"I cannot answer that Naruto. You can only do what you feel is best. I can guide you but I can't make decisions for you. Those are yours to make and yours alone."**

Naruto yawned as his exhaustion reached his mind. He was just as tired mentally as he was physically. "Then what would you suggest?"

Kyuubi smiled again. **"I suggest that you get some rest. Answers may come in the morning, if not then I will think on it."**

Naruto nodded sleepily and settled against Kyuubi, the fox laying him down on another tail and wrapping him up with the first. It watched the boy as he slept, just like each night since it had gained access to his dreams. That same smile crept onto its lips as it warded off the evils again, although there was substantially less to defend Naruto from these days. His mind was calming day by day, soon he could sleep peacefully without the fox's intervention.

Kyuubi wished for that day to arrive sooner rather than later.

* * *

Sarutobi waited for his guest to arrive. He had seen Bear arrive with her in tow, as he had expected. Now he was counting down the remaining seconds until they reached his office.

Three... Two... One...

A knock on the door sounded just as Sarutobi braced himself, the timing was spot on. "Enter."

Bear stepped in along with her. Sarutobi had to fight not to be intimidated by the heated gaze she wore. Her eyes blazed with anger, he knew why.

"Hokage-sama." Bear bowed to him before dismissing himself from the room.

"Sarutobi, I am very disappointed in you." A voice like steel grated across his hearing. This wasn't going to start well.

"There were... Complications that we-"

"I don't care! We had an arrangement, one you grossly failed to keep." He flinched at her words. He may be the Hokage of Konoha but she still scared the crap out of him. "Now, pray tell me how you plan on fixing this situation."

Sarutobi just shook his head lightly. "I was hoping you would have a better idea than me. I am no strategist"

That seemed to only annoy her further. "And yet you lead a village of ninja. You Sarutobi are a disgrace!" He flinched again. "I assume all you have done is repeatedly send ninja forwards into Iwa?" He simply nodded, dreading her next words. "Then you really are useless. How would that solve anything?"

"It was all I had-"

She slammed her hands against his desk. "Pathetic! How dare you call yourself Hokage!" Murderous intent flooded across to him before it subsided suddenly. "It seems I have to clean up after you yet again."

Shakily he found his voice. "How? What do you have in mind?"

"You are going to make amends with Iwa, fix the relationship bridges you burned and get on their good side again." She cut off his protests. "You will then offer to test their ninja at the chunin exams that will be held here on our next cycle. Should Iwa use the weapon themselves then it will attend, giving you a chance to retrieve it. Should they not, then Iwa will be lightly manned and taking it will be easy. _That_ is your only chance Sarutobi, mess it up and your life is forfeit."

Sarutobi nodded, he could only agree now. He had no other choice. He lifted his gaze to look at her, face set in a serious expression.

"It will be done, Kushina."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Chapter 7. Appologies for the late update, I was out and didn't have the chapter ready for posting until after I got back.**

**'ero-sennin56' - I agree that Kushina is similar to the other fics out there, but here's the thing. Canon Kushina doesn't control Konoha through Sarutobi like mine does, and there are other things that will be different/not used before. If you want to see a story where she cares for Naruto then there are plenty out there like that. I myself have read a dozen like that.**

**'denmawarlight' - I appreciate that Kyuubi has been viewed as a male in Canon, but that isn't a confirmed gender. All my sources refer to the fox as 'it' and not 'he' or 'she'. I can't justify a sentient being of that power being genderless, and a male Kyuubi doesn't work with my plot. I am also a fan of FemKyuubi stories (hence 'The Mishap' and 'The Last Smile') so it's obvious that I will follow that trend. My appologies if you don't like that.**

**'bonkai2' - Consider your idea/advice used. That's a very valid point you have made and I will endevour to make sure I tick that box.**

**For everyone else, this chapter is a little fluffy, but one particular detail will be made as a major plot point for later. 'NoirRenamon' already knows this and has been virtually jumping around with excitement (citation needed) until I use it.**

* * *

A Life Without a Legacy

Chapter 7

Five months passed with Naruto attending the academy. There was no improvement to how the others saw him, in fact he felt even more distant to them with each passing day. Kyuubi tried to alleviate his discomfort at being the centre of all the wrong attention, secretly hoping Iwa wouldn't turn on him like Konoha.

Kurotsuchi though had been the biggest boon for Naruto. After the first week of academy, when she found out of course, she had made Onoki place her with him. It gave her more time with her brother, the term becoming more solid despite the different lineage, and helped him through the tough times he had. Since she had joined him he had become notably happier, also receiving help from her on things he wasn't too sure of. She was the sister he could only dream of having. She too was happy knowing she could spend more time with Naruto.

However, this wasn't well received by Kyuubi. Yes it was happy that Naruto was getting along better, his previous treatment had horrified the fox to no end. But a sharp pang of jealousy came from the fox, yet again someone else had made Naruto feel better where Kyuubi couldn't. It gritted its teeth in annoyance, the seal had to go. Now.

Much youki was thrown around as the fox grew impatient with all the limitations.

Naruto though was unaware of his occupant and it's current state. He was currently sat at home with Kurotsuchi as they memorised all they had learned so far, trying to prepare themselves for later studies.

It was October ninth now, one day short of another year since the Kyuubi attacked Konoha. The following day also held significance to one other individual in Iwa, although they didn't know it. Naruto's birthday.

* * *

Onoki had returned at the end of the day as usual to see Naruto and Kurotsuchi still studying. Naruto had stopped needing to sleep so much after the first month of being in Iwa, he was more normal now in his sleeping and eating patterns. Kurotsuchi had reduced how much time she spent trying to play with Naruto and instead devoted that time to learning with him. His understanding about Iwa and all things related to it had grown significantly.

Dinner was the usual affair, nothing too fancy but easily better than what Naruto had before coming to Iwa. Although he was used to the meals now. Another session of studying later and Naruto was in bed asleep, digesting both his meal and his new information that he had received that day.

Kyuubi though wasn't about to rest. It had taken far too long but at last the seal was almost ready. The fox left it be, after a quick modification, and decided to wait for morning. Hopefully Naruto would be in for a surprise when he woke.

It paced around, excitement and anxiety running through the fox with equal measure. It couldn't remember a time where it felt so much human emotion, yet Naruto was the source from where it all stemmed. It soon realised, through all their conversations and by seeing what he saw through his eyes, that there was a bond of sorts between the fox and the boy. One of friendship, companionship, and yet possibly more.

The fox of course knew Naruto may not take kindly to that level of attention, an all powerful demon taking any sort of interest in him would likely scare the hell out of him. But Kyuubi didn't know this emotion.

It knew that demons often took subjects for their own personal pleasure, passing time or simply as sadistic imitations of procreation, but Kyuubi didn't feel any of that. No desire to break him, no want to use him. Seeing how his life had turned out after all he had been through, for better and for worse, the fox was attached to him strongly. It would protect Naruto with its immortal life, defend him at all times no matter the odds. It would help him with all his problems, answer all his questions. Naruto was precious to Kyuubi, no one would take him from it.

* * *

October tenth. The sixth anniversary of the attack on Konoha by Kyuubi. The sixth birthday of Naruto. Onoki had woken early along with Kurotsuchi and had both gathered outside his door. Kurotsuchi could barely contain herself, very low squeals of excitement escaping her lips despite Onoki's silencing looks. He too couldn't hide his smile though. He knew that Naruto had likely never celebrated his birthday before, today was going to change that.

Naruto was stirring now, waking up after a nice peaceful sleep. His dreams were a thing of the past, almost completely. A few still came to him but Kyuubi warded those away before they distressed him too much. He stretched and got dressed as usual before heading to his door. He paused when he heard a girlish squeak from the other side, Kurotsuchi must be planning on getting the jump on him. He smirked to himself, she had a long way to go to be stealthy enough to surprise him.

He shook his head, turning around and quietly climbing out the window.

Onoki and Kurotsuchi had heard him wake, any second now and he would open the door. Then they would surprise him.

Only Naruto wasn't in his room anymore. He shuffled along the outside of the walls and slipped through another window, this one in the lounge, and crept to the open door. He smirked again as he saw both Onoki and Kurotsuchi patiently waiting to jump on him as he opened his door, oblivious to the fact that he was now behind them.

Fight fire with fire...

Naruto leapt out behind them with a loud yell. Onoki fell over against the door, causing it to open, whereas Kurotsuchi just screamed in terror. She recovered quickly and whirled on the blonde.

"That's not funny nii-san!"

Naruto was laughing hard, something that had only begun to happen recently. "Really? I thought it was!"

By now Onoki had also recovered, torn between anger, amusement and amazement. Anger at being jumped out at, amusement at seeing Kurotsuchi's reaction, and amazement at how a six year old boy could sneak up on him like that. He settled for all three in equal measure.

"Naruto! How on earth did you get past us? You nearly gave me and Kurotsuchi a heart attack!"

"Easy Jiji. I could hear you from my room so I snuck into the lounge from the window." He was still laughing.

All three eventually composed themselves, Onoki getting to what he had planned from the start.

"Now Naruto. Do you know what today is?"

Said blonde thought for a second. "Saturday."

Onoki nearly fell over again. "What else is it?"

"Uh, the start of the weekend."

"And?"

"A day where we don't go to the academy?"

"And?"

Naruto paused. Was there something he wasn't seeing? "Uh... Um... Ah! I know! Today's the day where... Uh... Oh... I lost it... Um... Ah ha! Today's the day where you don't work in the office!"

This time Onoki did fall over, again. He rose quickly. "You really are clueless aren't you?"

Naruto shrugged as he hung his head. "Kyuubi thought so too."

Onoki's eyes widened. "Kyuubi? You've spoken to the demon?"

Naruto paused again. Perhaps he shouldn't have said that. "I, er, maybe?" Onoki didn't seem calmed by that. "It just wants to help me alright? It hasn't ever done me any harm, just the opposite. It helped me in Konoha more times that I can remember and its done the same here in other ways. Kyuubi is my friend."

Kyuubi, hearing the words through the boy's own ears, smiled widely. It wasn't a vicious smile, if you ignore the teeth, but one of gratitude and hope. Friendship was the first step towards its dreams.

Onoki's mouth worked for a few seconds before his voice caught up. "Well, I only have your word for that Naruto. But I trust it, if you say Kyuubi hasn't harmed you and is only helping then that's fine with me. Just promise me that you'll let me know in future, I don't like surprises."

"They make you fall over, don't they?"

Onoki just glared lightly. He cleared his throat. "Well, back to my question. You don't know what today is do you?" Naruto shook his head. "Today Naruto is the day the Kyuubi attacked Konoha."

"Uh, why does that matter Jiji? We don't like Konoha." He virtually spat the word.

"No we don't, but it also marks something else that happened on that day." Onoki paused to see Naruto's face become confused again. "Today, six years ago, was the day you were born Naruto. Today is your birthday."

Kurotsuchi squealed again, but both were drawn to Naruto's puzzled look face.

"Birthday? What's one of those?"

Onoki's heart sank. He really had been treated poorly in Konoha. Kyuubi was likewise affected, a single tear escaping a large eye. Kurotsuchi became silent, also not expecting such a question.

Onoki sighed. "It's a celebration of your birth that happens every year Naruto. People sometimes by gifts for it as well. I understand that your treatment in Konoha was severe, but I didn't think you didn't know about birthdays."

"Oh."

That was all Naruto could say on the matter. It hit him hard, knowing that the people of Konoha purposely ignored his birthday and hid it from him. He didn't know what to feel about it all. Anger for being ignored? Sadness for losing out? Or happiness for Onoki and Kurotsuchi appearing to take the time to change all that, trying to give him his first birthday. He could see that they were trying to do that, they wouldn't have brought it up otherwise.

Kurotsuchi hugged him from behind, giving a pleading look to Onoki. "But that's what we're here for, right Jiji? We're going to give nii-san his birthday!"

Onoki smiled at that. "Yes we are Kurotsuchi. Today and every year to come."

Naruto smiled, tears of joy threatening to form in his eyes. Kyuubi also smiled. If Naruto was that happy from just having a birthday, how happy could he be if the fox managed to succeed in its goals?

* * *

Naruto was subject to being the centre of attention, for all the right reasons, for the entire day. Everything revolved around him during his birthday. He chose what to eat, where to go and what to do. Never before had he had so much say in anything, so much choice in what went on. Iwa knew of his birthday, thanks to Onoki, and they too celebrated with him. A festival, adapted from the attack on Konoha that happened at the same time, was thrown in his honour. Yes Iwa was going to celebrate October tenth anyway, it's not every day that your most hated foe gets crippled by a giant demon fox, but Naruto's birthday became the new centre piece for it all.

Naruto had the time of his life. Despite how he felt about the academy and the responses he received from people, everyone seemed to want to join in with him. He met almost the entire village in one day. People shaking his hand, hugging him or just introducing themselves in other ways. He made many new friends as a result. Life was good, very good.

The evening saw the main piece of entertainment. A large display of fireworks that filled the sky from horizon to horizon, flashes of colour that were seen for miles around. Naruto gazed at through display with awe, he had never seen fireworks before. The whole of Iwa had joined in with the celebrations, giving the blonde haired boy a day to truly remember.

Now it was Kyuubi's turn.

It was time. Naruto had returned to his room after an eventful day, exhausted but feeling very happy. He laid in bed just as the seal began to weaken. It was now exactly six years since it was placed on the boy, the attack being at night, and the anniversary of its creation always weakened it a little. Kyuubi forced youki against the depleting seal, speeding along the process. Cracks formed within the seal, youki leaking through it.

Outside Naruto's body began to glow a deep red, youki wisping off him. The seal was glowing brightly under the sheets as something raised them off his body. A red mass condensed from the seal, tendrils poking from under the sheets Naruto had around him. Each tendril took form, four legs and nine tails. Another shorter tendril became a neck and head, two long ears on top. Two blood red eyes with slitted pupils opened to see Naruto sleeping. A toothy smile formed on its muzzle.

Kyuubi was free.

* * *

Naruto woke feeling much heavier than usual. He could also hear breathing that wasn't his own. Had Kurotsuchi jumped on him again? He opened his eyes, but instead of seeing her black hair he saw red. Lots of red.

He blinked a few times as the red mass moved, a head swivelling to look at him. Blood red eyes gazed into his blue ones, recognition flooding through him despite his sleepy mood.

"K... Kyuubi?"

The fox nodded once. "Hush Naruto. It is me. I wish you no harm as you already know."

Naruto blinked. "Did I have another nightmare?"

Kyuubi laughed a little, guessing what he meant. "No Naruto. You are awake now. I am really here."

"Wha... You're free?" Naruto began to panic, unsure of the consequences of Kyuubi being out of the seal.

Kyuubi shook its head. "Not quite Naruto. I am still partly sealed and this is taking a lot out of me, I can't maintain this for long. But now at least we can see each other properly, with our own eyes. I can be by your side whenever you wish me to be."

Naruto struggled to wrap his head around what he was seeing. "So you're out of the seal, but still inside it?" Kyuubi nodded. "And you can't stay out for long?" Another nod. "Do we still get to be friends?"

"Of course Naruto, I would have it no other way. And now I can do this we can speak more often. You won't be alone anymore. I know you have your family and that you have made some friends from yesterday, but now I can stay with you as well. I will protect you Naruto, better than anyone else ever can."

Naruto smiled, hugging Kyuubi's neck tightly. "Thank you Kyuubi."

Kyuubi just smiled. "I know it's a day late, but happy birthday Naruto."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Yep, it's back. I know full well that anyone who reviewed this chapter when the note was on cannot review again, so sorry about that, but you could always leave an annonymous review as your name if you so wish.**

**I won't be able to keep to a regular update schedule for this fic as I still don't fully know what's goingon with this one. Time will tell but do keep watching. I've shunted the previous note about the troll to the end of this chapter for those who haven't read it yet or those who want to read it again, just a imple copy-paste job.**

* * *

The Life of the Hunted

Chapter 8

Naruto crept around the corner of the lounge, seeing Onoki in the kitchen preparing to leave for his duties as Tsuchikage. It was now or never.

"Jiji?"

Onoki turned at the title, seeing Naruto partially hiding behind a wall. "Morning Naruto, why are you hiding?"

Naruto gulped. "Uh, well, you said yesterday to tell you if something happens about Kyuubi, so..." Very slowly he came from around the corner, one arm hanging back as something red came with him.

It took a lot of the Tsuchikage's courage not to drop into a defensive stance. "K-Kyuubi? How..."

The fox dipped its head. "Onoki-sama, it is a privilege to finally meet you properly. You have done so much for Naruto, I am in your debt." Onoki remained tense, being in the presence of a powerful demon had that effect even on kages. "You must understand that despite appearances I am not free. In fact I reckon I have a few minutes left before I return to the seal completely. However, just like with Naruto, I wish none within this village any harm. The only thing I ask is you allow me this action so I can be with Naruto."

Still fearful, Onoki had to enquire about one last thing. "How is it possible for you to be out like this?"

Kyuubi tilted its head. "The seal weakens considerably on the anniversary of its creation, this time around I merely helped it along. I only wish to stand and walk with Naruto, and to see Konoha burn for all they have done against him." The fox's eye twitched once. "My time is up and I must return to the seal before I disperse, hopefully in time I can extend the duration I can spend outside. Until next time, Onoki-sama."

Kyuubi bowed as its body became red chakra, filtering back into the seal on Naruto's stomach. Within seconds just Onoki and Naruto occupied the kitchen. Onoki sighed, resting against the counter. His time just got interesting, in all the wrong ways.

* * *

Two years passed uneventfully for Naruto and Iwa as a whole. Since his fist birthday celebration the village was much more open and friendly towards him. He made friends with many people and often found himself out with them, being treated to some wonder or another.

Iwa was also informed about his stance with Kyuubi. The fox was frequently outside the seal whenever possible and often joined Naruto for his day. The first few encounters between the villagers and the fox were rocky at best, but over time and seeing Naruto behave so calmly around it they grew to accept the presence of Kyuubi.

Konoha though, in Onoki's eyes, was behaving suspiciously. He had received a diplomatic message apologising for past events, which in itself was suspicious, and an offer to accept the presence of his ninja for the chunin exams that they were scheduled to hold in a few years time. Onoki scrutinised the offer for any potential hidden messages, plots or deception of any kind. He came up empty. If there was anything hidden within the offer he couldn't see it.

And then there was this latest development, the one that made things eventful again. Jiraiya.

He had approached the gate guards asking to see the Tsuchikage on a matter of importance, despite his allegiance to Konoha. Obviously he was restrained and brought before Onoki, who now studied the sanin for the reason he was here.

"Jiraiya, you have some gall coming here. Tell me why I shouldn't send you back to Konoha in five shipments."

Jiraiya didn't even flinch. "Because I can offer you something that will be worth your time."

"And what mist I ever want from a Konoha ninja, except their head?" Onoki was bored already.

Jiraiya sighed. "Firstly, let me straighten something out. I am not a Konoha ninja. Yes I have dealings with them but I also deal with many other villages and their kages. Please don't insult me. Now, as for my offer, I could help you with your latest resident. If I recall my information correctly he is in the academy training to be a ninja. Do you really think genin or chunin skills are a good use of his potential?"

Onoki fixed him a gaze that could melt rock. "Firstly, let _me_ straighten something out. Such information remains within Iwa, for you to know that means you have been here before. Perhaps I should kill you for that. Secondly, Naruto's training is for himself to decide on. He has the best teachers there are, there is no use for you."

"Does he have a summoning contract?"

Onoki paused. Why did he ask that? "No he doesn't, why does it matter? He doesn't need one. And why Naruto? There are others around who would have more use for a contract than him."

Jiraiya sighed. "Naruto is my god son, I owe it to his parents at least. You may not like them, but they are still his parents. And maybe he won't need a contract yet, but it wouldn't hurt for him to have one in case. You never know when you may need it."

Onoki decided not to retort about Naruto having Kyuubi for such occasions, he needed at least one thing to remain a secret from the sanin. "You do realise he won't trust you if you don't tell him who you are, and he will hate you when you do. How do you propose to teach him anything like that?"

Jiraiya winked. "Improvisation was my strong point. Do I have your consent?"

"No, there's something else bothering me. What do you get from this?"

"Nothing really, just a chance to fix my mistake over Naruto. I should have been there." Onoki got his meaning but didn't sympathise at all. "And if you're still not convinced, Iwa will gain a sanin. I want to remain close to him while I train him, and he is the closest thing we have to family. Real family. I know you took him in but he isn't your flesh and blood. I also knew his parents so I can tell him what they were like"

This time Onoki winked. "You may wish to hold that information to yourself."

"Why's that?"

"Call it a hunch, but I would take my advice if I was you." Onoki sighed. "Fine, you can train him when he isn't studying, and when he gives you permission. You will be watched at all times regardless of what you are doing. And just so you know, everyone in this village is above you in rank. I don't care if you're a sanin or not, if someone here tells you to do something, within reason, you damned better well do it. Got it?" Jiraiya nodded his consent. "My ANBU will show you to where you will stay. Go."

Jiraiya left with the ANBU escort, leaving Onoki alone again. He signed deeply, his time just got far too interesting for his liking, again for all the wrong reasons.

* * *

Jiraiya had been able to learn a fair bit about Naruto within the first week of him being in Iwa. He had heard about the Kyuubi walking alongside the blonde, but it wasn't until he saw it with his own eyes that he truly believed it. To see the red fox, much smaller than the last time he saw it, walking beside his god son as the two chatted and laughed was just surreal. Where was the bloodthirsty demon who decimated Konoha all those years ago?

He also knew that the graduation exam for his year was in two days time. Should he pass he would becomes genin, well on his way to being a powerful ninja. He might even make it in time for chunin exams being held in Konoha, should Onoki choose to accept the offer and consider sending him.

Oh yes, Jiraiya knew many things. He wasn't the master spy for nothing.

But the time for his move had come. He needed to introduce himself to Naruto so he could train him before he started any missions when he graduated, which he doubted he could fail at. If what he had least was true, Naruto stood a very good chance to pass the exam with a comfortable margin. Then again, this was Iwa. The exams could be very different to those in Konoha.

Breaking cover Jiraiya casually walked towards the blonde and his fox companion, crossing in front of the market to head him off. Once he was close enough, he began.

"Naruto?"

The blonde looked at the white haired man before him, Kyuubi also studied the figure. Something clicks within its mind but it couldn't place the feeling.

Naruto blinked. "That's me. I haven't seen you around here before. And I would know."

_"Naruto, something about this man doesn't feel right. Be careful."_

The blonde gave a slight nod to Kyuubi, showing he heard the thought. They could still share thoughts even if Kyuubi was outside the seal, its consciousness essentially in two places at once.

Jiraiya waved casually, trying to prevent any tension forming. "Well I just got here. I am Jiraiya, one of the three sanin. It's a privilege to finally meet you."

_"Jiraiya! I should have known! Naruto, he's Konoha ninja!"_

Again Naruto inclined his head at the thought. _"How did he get in? Does Jiji know?"_

Naruto didn't know, but Kyuubi actually was worried. Though not for itself. _"I don't know Naruto, but it would be best of we continued on our way. Onoki-sama is waiting for us. We can inform him then."_

Another nod. "Well Jiraiya, it's been nice meeting you. If you would excuse us we-"

"Naruto, there are things we need to discussion of utmost urgency." Jiraiya was determined to make himself known there and then.

Kyuubi was beginning to get agitated. _"Naruto, we need to go. Now."_

_"I know Kyuubi, I'm trying."_ "Look, we have things-"

"Things that are very important, they cannot wait-"

"I said we-"

"-It has to be now. There is no other way-"

"Jiraiya!" A new voice cut across them. Kyuubi's hackles were raised in aggression and teeth were barred. "Get away or I swear you will be the first person I kill in this village!"

Jiraiya snapped out of his stupor caused from the sudden violent response. He was about to retort with one of his speeches about how he was better than others due to his sanin title, when he remembered Onoki's words. He was beneath everyone here, part of the arrangement. He sighed. "You're right, forgive me. I overstepped myself."

Kyuubi eyed him dangerously. "You certainly did. The next time it happens you won't be warned, you understand?"

Jiraiya nodded, feeling like a child being told off by their parents. "Yes Kyuubi, I understand."

Kyuubi nodded in response. "Good, now go. I don't want to see you for at least the rest of the day."

Jiraiya had the sense to scurry off from the pissed Kyuubi, said fox calming down notably as they resumed their trip back home.

* * *

Once inside, both Naruto and Kyuubi went straight for Onoki. It was the blonde who spoke first.

"Jiji, there's a Konoha ninja in the village!"

The Tsuchikage was on his feet instantly. "Where did you see them?"

Naruto gestured vaguely behind him, at the wall. "By the market. He's Jiraiya, the sanin!"

Onoki sighed, relaxing back into his chair. "Ah, yes Naruto. I already know he is here."

Both Naruto and Kyuubi were shell shocked by the casualness of Onoki on the matter. "But Jiji, he's a Konoha ninja!"

"No Naruto, he's Iwa for the time being. He will also be training with you in through near future."

"Onoki-sama, I must press on you the importance of this matter." Kyuubi formerly stated, forcing Onoki's attention onto it. "Jiraiya cannot be trusted. He is, was and always will be a Konoha ninja with end goals that elude most people beneath him. He confronted us earlier, practically preventing us from going on our way. I had to threaten him to make him leave. Whatever his goals are this time you can be assured they involve Naruto and possibly me. He is a strong ninja, Konoha wouldn't simply allow him to leave their ranks."

Onoki could see Kyuubi wouldn't be persuaded unless he gave them a ground breaking revelation. He sighed, bracing himself for the backlash. "I appreciate your concerns, but Jiraiya came here for one reason. He is Naruto's god father."

Naruto froze as Kyuubi barred teeth, an agitated growl echoing forth. "How dare he come here!"

"Agreed." The blonde's words startled everyone. "How dare he show his face to me after all I was forced to endure, especially when he could easily have prevented it by being bothered to care for me!"

Onoki could see the change in his adopted grandson at the mere mention of a family relation that failed to make themselves known when he needed them. Gone was the innocence he had brought forth by caring for him, replaced by a deep, insatiable hatred for Jiraiya and anyone else who may be alive from his family, or anything similar.

"Naruto, calm yourself-"

The blonde whirled upon the Tsuchikage, face furious. "And you! You let him in knowing who he was! I trusted you Onoki!" Onoki flinched at his name being used instead of the usual terminology. "I trusted you, and you do this to me! And worse still, you expect me to let him train me? Never!"

Naruto stormed off, heading for the door. Kyuubi had since ran out of time and returned to the seal, reeling from the blonde's turmoil emotions raging through his mind.

Onoki could see an unbridgeable void growing between him and the blonde. He couldn't bear to let it force them apart. "Naruto, please. Wait."

Naruto opened the door, pausing for a precious few seconds. "I never want to see you again."

The door closed, one more thing in between the Tsuchikage and his adopted grandson. He gravely underestimated how deep his hatred ran for those who failed him in Konoha, now he fully understood the gravity of it all. Jiraiya had to leave, even if Naruto was the one to make it happen.

* * *

**A/N: Begin copy-paste sequence...**

**I wanted to draw you all to an anonymous review on 'The Life of the Hunted', sent by someone called 'DemonAndAGun'. It follows:**

**'You should quit writing. Just stop, you are absolutely fucking deplorable, if you want to do your thing, write your own fucking story and publish it, but quit trashing fanfic, you even stated in 'The Mishap' you were trying to make your own story, well do that, and get the Hell off Fanfic. You call yourself original and that you are trying to do things differently, you are in fact one of the most cliche writers out their hanging off the bandwagon, not to mention your theories make no sense. Naruto joins Iwa... been done a hundred times... Kushina abandoning Naruto... I'll give you her seeing him as a weapon is new but then there's one tiny problem... why in the Hell would Kushina want to do anything to benefit the village that abandoned HER village and HER clan to their enemies? The ONLY difference between this and other Kushina abandonment fics IS simply the fact that Kushina thinks of Naruto as a WEAPON and not the DEMON, but it is not enough to ride that nasty bitter aftertaste of clicheness out of my mouth. So do everyone on Fanfic a favor and stop writing for Fanfic, go write your own worthless garbage chocked full of your crappy OCs.'**

**Now, I don't really care if he/she reads this, but I will say it anyway.**

**I literally translated all that text into this: *Trollface* Yep, exactly that. So well done there mate, your review means absolutely nothing.**

**Why? Because it's very clear that you have NO idea how much work goes into fan fiction, just like any writing of any sort, and you appear to be about 8 years old. This is fan fiction, the author has complete free choice in what goes on in their stories, not some lame assed prick with no sense of anything. Not to mention that the 'facts' you put forward don't actually exist. Naruto joining Iwa hasn't been done before, and Kushina has't controlled Konoha either. Didn't it ever cross your small inferior mind why she does that? Don't you think it's her revenge from her husband, Minato, taking her only son away from her so she can destroy the very village he swore to protect? She lost her village and clan, wouldn't she see Konoha as a replacement if she could control it? Obviously your imagination isn't very large, otherwise you would have actually THOUGHT about things before acting like a complete tosser.**

**There is a major rule to everything you read on this site: Don't like it? Don't read it. Simple as.**

**I know my work isn't everyone's taste, that's fine by me. But if you don't like it, go find something else to read instead. You're just wasting your own time in writing that idiotic review, so well done again.**

**And by the way, request denied. I will continue to 'trash' fanfiction all I please simply because there are people who like my work. I will not stop just because you think you're better than everyone else and that your word is 'supposedly' law.**

**Rant over, all I can say is this: Well done for wasting your own time. I won't stop because of you, of you don't like it, piss off.**

**'Nuff said.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Chapter 9 is here at last. I'm coming to the end of my main fic for digimon so I will be having much more time to write this one and get back onto a regular update schedule soon, that's if I don't start yet another fic...**

**Anywho, here's the next part of the story**

* * *

The Life of the Hunted

Chapter 9

Naruto skulked through the streets of Iwa, fuming at how betrayed he was. After everything Konoha had done to him Onoki just allowed Jiraiya, his god father no less who completely failed to care for him in any measure, to simply walk in and train the blonde. The sheer scale of the matter was beyond comprehension.

_"How dare he!"_

_"Calm yourself Naruto. Whilst I agree with you this mood you're in won't help anything."_ Kyuubi tried to calm the raging boy.

Naruto huffed. _"What do I do Kyuubi? I'm lost, nothing makes sense anymore. Who do I trust?"_

Kyuubi desperately wished it could leave the seal sooner. _"Trust in yourself, that's all you have and all you can do. I will never betray you Naruto but if you choose not to trust me that's your choice. Trust in your abilities and strengths and rely on them. Listen to your heart and the answers will come."_

Naruto fell silent, dropping into deep thought as he roamed aimlessly around Iwa. Kyuubi did its best to comfort the blonde but it would take more than mere words to change his mood.

Jiraiya watched on from a distance, wondering what had put his god son in such a mood. He could see the agitation when he first approached him, more so in the Kyuubi, so was it him that caused the mood? Or was it something else?

Considering the way Naruto dragged himself around, earning the curious looks from everyone nearby, he felt his role was minuscule in making the blonde how he was. So something else had pushed him, but what? He knew better than to walk up and ask, even if the Kyuubi wasn't around at the moment.

He decided to do what he did best, something he had done for years. He sat back and watched.

* * *

Onoki sighed as he sat in his chair. The office seemed so much worse after what he had done to Naruto. He admitted his fault, accepting Jiraiya into Iwa for the reasons he did after what he had failed to do and given where he was. It was inexcusable.

That fact only served to make him feel worse. He had put a huge rift between himself and Naruto, one he doubted could ever be bridged again. The blonde had confided in him, risked his life to reach Iwa with the hopes of finding a new life. Onoki had given him that chance, given him a family of his own, and yet he had done this.

So it was with great surprise when the door opened and Naruto walked in, Kyuubi beside him. At first Onoki thought they were there to vent their fury on him, but the looks on both of them told him otherwise.

Naruto stood before the Tsuchikage as he rose to his feet. It was plain to see that the man didn't know what was going on. "Jiji? I'm sorry. I over reacted about the whole Jiraiya thing. I took my anger out on you. I'm still not happy about it all but he failed me as a father, not you."

Onoki smiled weakly. "No Naruto, it is me who should be sorry. I should never have let him into this village knowing who he is or was. And when I found out about his family relation to you I definitely should have thrown him out. I put you through an unnecessary emotional trauma, for that I am sorry."

Naruto smiled back, watery eyes glistening in the light. "Jiji..."

Onoki embraced the boy, silently thanking the gods for this one last chance at redeeming his mistake. Kurotsuchi wouldn't have to lose her brother either, as he hadn't told her yet. Now he wouldn't have to.

Naruto and Onoki separated, Kyuubi watching on from a respectful distance. The blonde blinked his eyes clear. "Tomorrow is my graduation test Jiji, Yerugio-sensei told us. I should go study so I will be ready."

Onoki nodded. "I'll be home soon Naruto. Are we alright now, after this?"

The blonde nodded back. "Yes Jiji. We are alright."

* * *

Graduation day. Naruto's anxiety was palpable. He really wasn't sure if he could pass the tests with enough points to become a ninja, and he really didn't want to have to retry the courses again. If he passed he would be an Iwa ninja. If he failed he wouldn't bother trying again, he would live as a civilian instead. Make or break time.

Kyuubi padded beside him as they walked into the room the exam was held in. Everyone's eyes were drawn to them as they entered, more to the fox than the blonde, before they resumed their pre exam routines. They had met Kyuubi enough times before not to fear it.

Taking his seat with Kyuubi sitting beside him, Naruto sighed with tension. Kurotsuchi was already seated, waving her good luck to him. He waved back, a forced smile on his lips. Kyuubi noticed.

"What's wrong kit?"

He shook his head a little. "Nothing Kyuubi, I just don't know if I will pass this."

"Trust in yourself Naruto, you have the knowledge and the means to become a ninja. All you need to do is believe it." Kyuubi momentarily cringed at the last two words.

"Believe it." Both the fox and Naruto cringed again. "Remind me never to say that again like that."

Kyuubi nodded. "Noted. But you must trust in yourself, only then will you truly succeed at anything."

"Thanks Kyuubi." Naruto rubbed the fox's head briefly, earning a playful growl in response. "Shut it, you know you like that."

The fox sent a side glance. "Not in public Naruto. Here comes Yerugio."

Sure enough Yerugio walked in and stood by his desk. "Right. As you all know today is testing day. Those who pass will become genin ninja, those who don't make it obviously won't. But you will get another chance next year. Although if I do say so myself, I believe all within this room have a high chance of passing."

His words helped alleviate most of the anxiety within the room, but not for Naruto. He doubted his own ability in ways words couldn't cure. Even Kyuubi couldn't settle his doubts.

They didn't have long to themselves though as the first exam was handed out, the ominous piece of paper laying before each student and only serving to make Naruto worse.

Yerugio waited for all students to receive a test paper. "You all have your papers. The test ends in an hour. Begin."

* * *

Naruto placed his pen down as the time ran out. He wiped away a few beads of sweat as Yerugio retrieved his paper along with the others. The blonde didn't think he did well, he only managed to answer three quarters of the paper an he wasn't sure if they were even right.

Yerugio addressed the class again. "Now, you will all be paired up randomly and given a task to accomplish together. How you do it will be assessed and scored for your graduation score." He then proceeded to run a list of names as matched pairs until he reached Naruto. "Naruto, you are with Lioh." He continued with the class.

Lioh was a promising ninja, like many others in the academy, with an air of confidence. Most people would call it overconfidence, reinforced by his slightly boisterous attitude to those he feels are inferior to him. His stocky frame and short cropped back hair made him look like an ass too.

Kyuubi crinkled its muzzle at the mention of the pairing as Naruto inwardly groaned. "Great..."

Pairings decided everyone got into their duos. Naruto sat opposite Lioh with Kyuubi watching them both. The black haired student seemed unphased by the demon beside them.

"Well Naruto. I didn't expect to be paired with you. We're bound to pass now aren't we? The two strongest ninja in Iwa as a team, we got this nailed."

"This likely isn't about strength Lioh." Kyuubi stated. "We will need to think deeply on what we are being asked to do."

Lioh snorted in a bored fashion. "Sure, but we still got this."

That was what people hated about him. He simply didn't care to think on anything.

A chunin ninja joined them, one for each pair, and introduced themselves. "I will be your stand in sensei for the duration of this test. You will refer to me as sensei and nothing else."

Kyuubi snorted once. "And what do I call you? You're no sensei of mine."

"Maybe not, but for the duration of this exam you will do the same. Demon or not, rules are rules."

Kyuubi flicked its tails, causing a moderate gust of wind to surge through the room. "Then I shall not address you at all. Suits me just fine."

Naruto grinned at the exchange. Again Lioh didn't seem to care.

The chunin cleared their throat. "Right then, let's begin."

* * *

Second test over, Naruto reflected before they were given the next exam.

The test, like Kyuubi had suggested, was about tactical thinking. A number of scenarios were described and they were asked to formulate an effective strategy to counter them. When they cleared the first one another was given. In all they answered five scenarios. Their scores were not divulged, but Naruto guessed Lioh had let the, down on numerous occasions. His blanket answer of 'run in and kill them all' was grating after the second time he said it.

Yerugio drew their attention again. "Good. Now we move onto the third phase. You will take turns to duel against a clone of me with the same level of chakra as a standard genin. You have one minute to defeat it, or land as many blows as possible. Afterwards you will be graded."

Taijutsu. Naruto's not so favourite area of skill. He also guessed Kyuubi couldn't help him either. The clone would likely be an earth clone so destroying it won't be east, if even possible for trainee ninja.

"Lioh, you're up first."

The arrogant boy nodded as the class went to a makeshift combat ring outside the building. Yerugio formed his clone.

"Begin."

One minute later a battered and slightly humiliated Lioh staggered from the ring. Despite his arrogant behaviour he had managed to land several blows upon the clone, but he had received many more on himself.

One by one the students were called and made to duel the clone. No one managed to destroy it but a few did cause cracks that were repaired in between fights. Eventually Naruto was up.

He strode into the ring and dropped into a stance. He hadn't learnt much Taijutsu so his positioning was off, his balance wasn't brilliant either. Kyuubi had tried to improve his skills but the stances he was required to use didn't suit his body. He moved much more fluidly than Iwa ninja who relied on strong impacts to defeat their foes. Naruto was more suited for dodging and using his opponents' strength against them, but that wouldn't work in the stance he had to use.

One minute later and Naruto only managed to land a single impact on the clone, a right hook to the jaw. The blow probably hurt his hand more than the clone, but nowhere near as much as the impacts the clone landed on him.

Yerugio cleared his throat. "That leaves one last contestant. Kyuubi, you're up."

"Me? You have got to be joking." The fox wasn't amused.

Neither was Yerugio."You are here taking the test as well, you are being graded."

Kyuubi blinked. "I didn't perform the written exam."

"Nor could you since you don't have hands. You were given a blanket average for that part but your second phase was graded. Now, please enter the ring." Yerugio gestured to the clone.

Kyuubi sighed and stepped up. "You do realise Taijutsu uses hands too."

"That and the whole body when done correctly, and last I noticed you have a body." He stemmed the fox's response. "Begin."

Kyuubi was bored from the start. As soon as the word left Yerugio's mouth the clone rushed forwards. The fox simply flicked its tails forwards about a foot, gale force winds tackling the clone to the ground.

"This is a Taijutsu fight Kyuubi, not Ninjutsu." Yerugio warned.

Kyuubi didn't react visually. "That wasn't Ninjutsu. Again you require hands for that. My tails have that effect no matter what I do."

The clone stood again and rushed a second time. Kyuubi didn't react as the clone struck its head, the fist disintegrating against the fox. Kyuubi didn't even flinch.

"Bored."

Its tails whipped forwards, causing another gust of wind, and wrapped around the arms and legs of the clone. Another tail circled the neck. The remaining four impaled the chest area, dirt and rock rejecting out of the back. With one yank Kyuubi ripped the clone apart, creating a shower of rock and dust as the clone failed. The fight took thirty seconds not counting the interruption.

Kyuubi fixed Yerugio a look. "Are we done here?"

The sensei looked pale. "Y-Yes Kyuubi."

* * *

Back inside the students waited to hear their results. Yerugio appeared from a side room. "I will call you in one by one to give you your grade. Those who pass will receive their Iwa headband. Those who don't will be able to enroll again for the next year. Lioh, you're first."

Naruto shifted in his seat with nervousness. Kyuubi tried to settle him to no avail, it was also trying to understand why it was being tested as well. The fox had no desire to be an Iwa ninja, not counting the sheer impossibility of a demon being a ninja nor the fact it couldn't remain out of the seal for lengths of time. In fact Kyuubi would be returning again within a few minutes.

The class dwindled in size as each student received their grade. Some left with a headband, others with a sheet of paper to hand in for re-enrollment. Eventually it was just Kyuubi and Naruto left. Yerugio came out again as Kurotsuchi, who had been called in before them, paraded her headband.

"Naruto and Kyuubi. We will do you both together. Step this way."

To say Naruto could get any more nervous sounded impossible, but that's exactly what happened. He and Kyuubi walked into the small room as the blonde began to shake. Kyuubi pressed itself against him to attempt to settle his nerves, it only partly worked.

"Naruto, Kyuubi. We have your scores..."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Well, another chapter awaiting introductions. I should be able to update regularly now since my other fic is ending soon.**

**'Out of Pseudonyms' - I know Kyuubi has 'hands', but they seem more suited for walking on or crushing Konoha than forming handsigns for Jutsu. Besides, the tails do more damage than any Jutsu could ever hope to match. Kyuubi will simply use those.**

**Well without furthe pause here is the latest chapter. Please do enjoy...**

* * *

The Life of the Hunted

Chapter 10

Naruto awaited his score with an apprehension unseen in Iwa before. Kyuubi could do nothing to calm him down nor make the situation less daunting for him.

Yerugio retrieved the sheet of paper that held the student scores. "Naruto, Kyuubi. We have your scores."

The blonde's shaking increased. Kyuubi remained looking bored. Yerugio traced across the page to Naruto's score. Sweat beaded on the blonde's brow as he awaited his result. Never had anything before made him feel so nervous.

Yerugio cleared his throat. "Naruto, your first test was substandard. You barely scraped a pass on phase one." Naruto gulped, even if he knew he hadn't done too well on the written exam. "Your second test also wasn't the best score we have seen, but Lioh did influence that. You passed the second phase too." Two passes, but he knew the third would damage that record. "And the third test, well. You landed one solid hit on the clone but received many more in return. Should that had been a real fight you would have been killed within the first few seconds. I'm afraid you didn't pass that phase." He expected that much, he didn't need anyone to confirm it. "So two low passes and a fail. Your score isn't high enough to graduate Naruto, I'm sorry."

Naruto nodded slowly, not even bothering to glance at the enrollment forms. Kyuubi sent a side glance of sympathy to the blonde but it went unseen.

"Kyuubi, your first test was a default score of a basic pass so we won't go into that one. The second phase was the same as Naruto but again, Lioh played a part in that. Your third phase though was a pass, even if it was a little excessive. Should the clone not had hit you then you would have gained a distinction. Your scores though make you pass with a comfortable margin. I don't know how you will chose to wear your headband-"

"No." the fox cut Yerugio off mid sentence. "I can not, _will not_ become a ninja for Iwa so long as Naruto isn't one. I cannot leave him due to our unique circumstances even if I wanted to. Keep your headband."

Kyuubi turned, hooking a tail around Naruto and taking them both out of the room. Once outside the fox gazed deep into the blonde's eyes.

"Naruto, this isn't over. If you really want to become a ninja then we will do it together."

He looked despairingly back at the fox, eyes glistening. "How Kyuubi? I failed. For all the training and studying I did, I failed. Even nee-chan passed. _You_ passed."

Kyuubi nodded once. "I passed, but I rejected it. Even if I could Naruto I won't leave you. You are my friend, we will remain together." Kyuubi's tails slowly curled around the blonde. "Even if we have to sit through all that again, we will get there together."

Naruto nodded back before they both slowly made their way home.

* * *

Onoki sat at his desk reviewing the list of names of new ninja in Iwa. He was proud and happy that so many had passed, including Kurotsuchi, but he couldn't see Naruto's name on the list. Yerugio stood across from him after delivering the report.

"Why isn't Naruto's name on this list Yerugio?"

The chunin cleared his throat. "He failed Tsuchikage-sama."

"Failed?" Onoki's brow raised. "How could he fail when Kurotsuchi passed? They studied together, and he had Kyuubi helping him."

"Kyuubi passed Tsuchikage-sama but refused the position if Naruto couldn't be a ninja as well. Those two have quite the bond."

"That and the fact Kyuubi can't go too far from Naruto before being pulled into the seal." He could remember the day they tested Kyuubi's range from Naruto. Over time that would grow in the same way as the time Kyuubi could remain outside, but for now they were limited to being in the same room. "Kyuubi can't be one of our ninja without Naruto, even then there's the complications of what the fox really is. However I doubt Kyuubi will allow us to bind it to Iwa without something in return, so there could be further complications there as well." Onoki sighed. "I should return home. Naruto is likely to be upset about failing."

Yerugio shifted on his feet, he had been there a while. "I think it's more than that Tsuchikage-sama. He didn't bother to take an enrollment form for next year either, they just walked out."

"I see." Onoki wore a look Yerugio couldn't identify. "Then I shall see him now, this likely runs deeper than just failing a test or two."

Yerugio bowed. "Of course, Tsuchikage-sama. I shall take my leave then."

The chunin left as Onoki rose from his seat. With a small message to his secretary to hold his calls he returned home to find Naruto.

* * *

Only the blonde wasn't at home. He knew Kurotsuchi would head straight there and he had no intention of hearing her celebrate her graduation. Instead he and Kyuubi were on their way out of Iwa to roam the areas outside, allowing Naruto to clear his head.

But again, he wasn't there.

Jiraiya had chosen this moment to approach the blonde again, oblivious to the circumstances surrounding why he was there. He had to try one last time.

Seeing Kyuubi with him unnerved him slightly, but he didn't know if he could get another chance. He waved his cheery greeting.

_"Oh Kami, not now!"_

"Naruto! I trust all is well on this fine day?" Jiraiya had no idea just how wrong he was.

Kyuubi though was ready to remind him. "Jiraiya, you have five seconds to make yourself scarce before I rend you to pieces."

"Oh come on! Give me a break Kyuubi. I'm just trying to help-"

"Help? _Help?_ _You_ want to _help?_ Where was this 'help' _eight years_ ago in Konoha? Where was this 'help' when I was beaten, broken and bloody in an alley _every_ night? Where were _you_ when _I_ needed help?" Naruto exploded on Jiraiya with a force that shook even Kyuubi. It had no idea he had that amount of emotion contained inside him. "Don't answer that! I don't care _even_ if you had a truthful answer! Get the hell away from me Jiraiya, and never _ever_ come back! If I so much as see a _thread_ of your hair I will personally rip your throat out and feed you to Kyuubi!"

Jiraiya had the sense then to back away from the enraged blonde. People around them were now staring at the display, most muttering about Jiraiya being unwelcome already in Iwa. The sanin heard all. He bowed once.

"If that is your wish Naruto."

He turned on his heel and walked away, eager to be out of sight.

With him gone Naruto broke down. Everything got to him there and then. Some people tried to come forward but a warning growl from Kyuubi stayed them. Seeing he obviously wanted to be alone the fox curled its tails around the blonde and pulled him along, out of the main gate and out of sight of prying eyes. He needed time to himself but Kyuubi wasn't about to leave him, even if it was possible.

* * *

Onoki arrived home expecting to see Naruto in his room, but his door was ajar like he left it that morning. Surprised he ventured further in, seeing Kurotsuchi parading round the lounge with her headband firmly around her forehead. She saw him instantly.

"Jiji! I passed! I passed! I'm a ninja!" She bounced up and down with each word, making Onoki smile.

"Congratulations Kurotsuchi. Now you can start some serious training."

She threw a fist into the air. "Yeah, then I'll be the strongest ninja ever!"

Onoki chuckled lightly before returning to a more pressing matter. "Kurotsuchi, have you seen Naruto?"

She shook her head. "Not since the academy. I think he went in after me though." She caught the look in his eyes, her smile fading slightly. "Did he pass Jiji? He had to, we studied so hard together!"

Onoki's face became sad. "No Kurotsuchi, he didn't pass. I don't fully know why yet which is why I want to speak with him. I thought he would have come home."

Kurotsuchi began to worry again. "I haven't seen him, where would he have gone?"

"I don't know Kurotsuchi, but we will find him." He signalled an ANBU to come, the figure appearing within moments. "Have you or your team seen Naruto?"

"Hai Tsuchikage-sama. There was a confrontation between him and Jiraiya in the market earlier before he left Iwa with Kyuubi." The ANBU saw the look in Onoki's eyes. "I don't believe he has left permanently, but rather gone to clear his head. He was very distressed. We felt it best to withdraw and give him the space he needs."

Onoki nodded. "I see. Thank you. I shall go find him at once. He might need his space but being out of the village isn't the best course of action. Have your team remain where they are in case someone does show up uninvited."

"Hai Tsuchikage-sama!"

The ANBU vanished in the same way he appeared. Onoki turned to Kurotsuchi. "Please stay here Kurotsuchi, I will find Naruto and bring him back. And I know you're proud of your headband but try not to speak to Naruto about it, he might get upset by it."

"Okay Jiji. Bring my nii-san back please."

Onoki nodded. "I will."

* * *

Naruto sat with Kyuubi within the shade of the wall. They hadn't gone far at all and the wall offered shelter from the sun, the plains around the village were too open. The blonde had calmed significantly but hadn't spoken in a while, neither had Kyuubi but they were both sending their thoughts back and forth.

_"It's alright Naruto. We will get through this."_

_"Why me Kyuubi? Why does nothing go right for me? First I get the treatment I got in Konoha, then I get the isolation in Iwa. Now there's this, and Jiraiya on top of it all. Why can't things just work for a change?"_

_"I can't answer that Naruto, but I do know that I will do all I can to make things work for you. We can train more, study harder and we will pass."_

_"No Kyuubi, I'm not going through all that again. This was my one chance at becoming a ninja. I blew it. That's it. Kurotsuchi passed, that's enough for me. At least I might have helped her became a ninja instead."_

_"Do you honestly believe Iwa will let you remain a civilian with me inside you?"_

_"Do you believe they will force me into doing something I don't want to with you outside me?"_

_"Fair point. But Onoki and Kurotsuchi won't let it drop though, they will keep asking you to reconsider."_

_"They can ask all they want Kyuubi, I'm not trying again."_

Kyuubi's ears pricked up. _"Someone's coming. It's Onoki."_

Sure enough Onoki rounded the corner and saw them both sitting in the shade. He studied Kyuubi's face for some sort of approval to approach, the fox sending a small nod his way, before he ventured nearer. He sat on the other side of the blonde to the fox, casting a side glance to gauge how to begin.

"Naruto, I know it's not easy. There's always next year."

"No Jiji, not for me." Onoki looked sidearms again, seeing Naruto staring off across the plains. "Not again. If I can't do it first time then I won't bother trying again. Kurotsuchi passed, that's enough for me."

"Naruto-"

"Nii-san! There you are!" Onoki sighed inside, he should have known Kurotsuchi wouldn't remain at home with Naruto upset. She sat right in front of him, poking him in the shoulder. "Come on you! We have to pass you now! There's no way I'm going on a team without you by my side!"

Onoki looked at her strangely. "You mean you won't be a ninja as well if Naruto isn't one?"

She shook her head. "Nope! Because there's no one I trust more on a team than Naruto!" Onoki wished she would stop shouting. "So come on nii-san! Even if I have to drag you I'll make Yerugio-sensei pass you today!"

Naruto grimaced the whole time. "Please stop shouting nee-chan, you sound like a banshee."

Somewhere in Konoha, a pink haired girl sneezed.

She poked him again. "Then come on nii-san! We haven't got all day here!"

He had nothing between to do anyway, so he allowed himself to be lead into Iwa by Kurotsuchi. Onoki tagged along as well, hoping Kurotsuchi's plan worked. As much as he respected Naruto's decision, most of Iwa wouldn't. The village could very easily mimic Konoha's behaviour towards him in a heartbeat.

* * *

**A/N: Yes I did enjoy laying the verbal smackdown on Jiraiya. But don't worry, you haven't seen the last of him...**

**Or have you?**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: A little late but still on my update day. Just finished the final touches so here it is. There should be an update as usual next Saturday but if there isn't then I appologise. I'm running a hectic life at the moment so I'll do what I can.**

* * *

The Life of the Hunted

Chapter 11

Yerugio just sat down to relax when there was a frantic knocking on his door. He want expecting anyone so he approached with curiosity, opening the door to four individuals.

A blank faced Onoki, a threateningly blank look from Kyuubi, a vacant expression from Naruto and a determined gaze from Kurotsuchi. Yerugio sighed inwardly, this couldn't be good.

He addressed the most senior first. "Tsuchikage-sama, what brings you here?"

Onoki just pointed to the two before him, Kyuubi also pointed with its tails. Naruto shifted on his feet while Kurotsuchi tried to gain the attention. Yerugio drifted his eyes to her, answering her not so subtle calls.

"Yerugio-sensei! You have to pass Naruto!"

Yerugio blinked. Was this what this was about? A look from Onoki confirmed it. Yerugio did sigh that time. "Kurotsuchi, you know the rules. Naruto failed the tests. I can't pass him."

"Yerugio, if I may." Kyuubi's voice drew his eyes in a heartbeat. It wasn't often that the fox spoke to him. "Naruto was doomed to fail your tests from the beginning. He isn't from Iwa and has a very different physical shape and dexterity. Your fighting stance isn't suited for him, his strengths come not from the power behind his blows but rather his flexibility to use his opponents size and strength against them. Furthermore the written test was heavily biased on Iwa history, something Naruto hasn't had access to until very recently. He could not, no matter how much training he did, pass the graduation." Yerugio had to agree about the fighting, he had seen how awkward Naruto looked in that stance. And there was truth about the written test. "As it stands Yerugio as long as Naruto isn't an Iwa ninja then I too cannot be considered within those ranks, I will not be used by this village no matter how dire the situation."

Those words made Onoki flinch, let alone Yerugio. For Kyuubi to basically refuse to help Iwa even in the face of complete destruction meant they had gained nothing in allowing them here.

"Same here! If nii-san isn't a ninja then neither am I! I don't want to leave him." Kurotsuchi's defiant voice added more fuel to the fire. Kurotsuchi was a skilled ninja candidate, not having access to her would be a serious tactical disadvantage. Yerugio was literally caught with no alternative.

He looked to Onoki, who simply nodded once. "All I can do is give Naruto another shot tonight. I will personally oversee the tests and, without making it look like cheating, tailor it to be fairer on him." Kurotsuchi nearly jumped in victory. "But, should Naruto still fail then I can't do anything more. It is up to him." He faced Naruto who was now looking at him. "I suggest you study hard Naruto, you won't get a third try. To be fair you shouldn't be having this one, but it seems I have no choice."

Naruto nodded slowly. "Thank you, Yerugio-sensei."

Yerugio waved them off. "Now, off with you. You have studying to do."

Kurotsuchi grabbed Naruto's wrist. "Come on nii-san! I'll help!"

Kyuubi went with them as well, their forms retreating back to the palace. Yerugio turned to address Onoki. "May I ask why we just bypassed the system for one boy Tsuchikage-sama?"

Onoki sighed. "Because this isn't about just one boy Yerugio. This is about showing our strength, having Naruto and Kyuubi in our ninja ranks will no doubt boost that strength, and Kurotsuchi won't have it any other way. This is for Iwa, not just one boy."

Yerugio was taken aback. "So this wasn't for Naruto?"

Onoki smiled. "It is, but that's not the whole reason. Even I could tell he put his heart into becoming a ninja, someone with that dedication shouldn't be quelled without a fair chance. This is Naruto's fair chance, as well as Iwa's benefit."

Yerugio nodded. "I see. Well, if I may I have a test to prepare. I shall take my leave Tsuchikage-sama."

Onoki nodded and left, leaving Yerugio without his relaxation time. He groaned once the door was closed and began to design a test suited for Naruto.

* * *

Naruto spent the rest of the day with Kurotsuchi cramming everything he could and sending time with Kyuubi training in a stance he could use. It took him a little while but he felt far more comfortable than in the Iwa stance. But the time for his second test had come.

Naruto made his way with Kyuubi to the academy. Kurotsuchi and Onoki were advised to wait until he got home in case they distracted him. Kurotsuchi naturally bristled at being called a distraction but conceded in the end. Naruto's anxiety had returned despite this new test being something more suitable for him, Kyuubi could still do nothing to calm him. It was getting dark now as the day started to end, the last chance Naruto would get to become a ninja.

They we're halfway there when Kyuubi stopped, forcing the blonde to do so too. Its ears perked up as it sniffed the air.

"We are being followed."

Naruto scanned around but saw nothing. "Where Kyuubi? I can't see anything."

Kyuubi though could sense them coming but didn't get a chance to warn Naruto as it ran out of time outside the seal. The fox was drawn back in despite its attempts to stop it, preventing communication for a precious few seconds while the pursuers pounced.

Naruto was too preoccupied with Kyuubi's departure to see the three shadows descend on him, one kicking him into the ground as he skidded to a stop. He rose, coughing up some dust as he faced his attackers.

One of the figures spat at his feet. "Demon brat, you're coming home with us!"

Naruto recognised the accent as one not from Iwa, so there was a high chance they were from Konoha if they were to 'take him home', a fact proven when moonlight glinted off of a Konoha headband hidden under a hood.

Naruto scowled. "Iwa is my home, Konoha scum! You think you can take me? Come and try." He wasn't confident in his abilities yet but he had to act confident, it's all he had.

Kyuubi finally regained the ability to communicate with the blonde. _"Watch yourself Naruto, these ninja got past the walls without being detected."_

He nodded slightly, the ninja looking puzzled as to why he made such a gesture before they advanced on him.

Kunai were thrown his way as he rolled to one side, dodging the barrage with ease. He never knew why people bothered to do that, virtually all kunai missed when thrown like that. He righted himself as the first ninja closed in on him.

Naruto ducked the first swing and responded with an undercut inside the ninja's defence, pushing him back into another. The third went to sweep his legs from under him but Naruto jumped the leg, lashing out with his own to kick the ninja in the head. He missed and the momentum carried him away from the retaliatory blow.

He squared off again, the three ninja recovering and advancing again. "The demon is skilled, he has been learning. Good. That makes him worth more to us."

Naruto's scowl returned as they leapt at him again. He rolled forwards underneath then and plucked two kunai from the floor, some from the barrage thrown at him, and held them in a reverse grip, the blades against his wrists to hide them from view. The first ninja who came at him had no idea he was armed now. Naruto blocked the punch that came his way, just, and swung his own fist out, catching the ninja across the neck with the blade.

The ninja dropped back, clutching his severed windpipe as blood spurted from the major arteries and splashed on the ground. Naruto was also sprayed across his face, the hot fluid dripping from his jaw line. The other two ninja disregarded their dying comrade and pressed their own attacks forwards, now aware of the blades.

Aware but not immune. The second ninja swung fist after fist at Naruto, receiving cuts where the blonde blocked with the blades on occasion. Naruto also received his own cuts and bruises from the onslaught. This ninja's defence was much better than the first but a crafty duck from Naruto got him inside his guard, slashing a cross in his chest and rending the ninja open. A kick pushed the corpse away, leaving a very bloody Naruto facing the last ninja.

The ninja applauded mockingly. "Impressive. You took down two skilled ninja with ease, but how will you do against me? Demon!"

Just as the ninja began his charge Kyuubi reformed outside the seal, stabbing its tails forwards and impaling the ninja in multiple places. The charge was vaulted as Kyuubi snarled at the remaining ninja.

"I am the demon, Konoha scum! Burn in hell!"

With one yank the ninja's body separated into nine pieces, blood spraying all around in a crimson fountain. No scream came from the ninja, no scream could be quick enough.

Kyuubi turned round to Naruto who had dropped his blades, his blood soaked form shaking slightly. Its tails wrapped around him in a comforting manner.

"It's over Naruto."

He slowly nodded. "How did they get here Kyuubi? They shouldn't have been able to get inside the walls, let alone this far in."

Kyuubi released its tails. "I don't know Naruto, but all that matters is that they are dealt with." The fox eyed the boy closely. "Do you still wish to retake your test?"

He shook his head. "I am soaked in blood Kyuubi, tests are far from my mind at the moment. I can't go anywhere looking like this."

A noise behind them placed them both in fighting stances, Kyuubi's tails poised. Onoki and Yerugio came into view, surveying the blood soaked area and the two equally soaked figures. The two corpses were clean kills but the body parts that belonged to the third ninja clarified Kyuubi's involvement. Upon seeing them approach Naruto and the fox relaxed.

Onoki went to check on the blonde. "Naruto! Are you alright?"

"Fine Jiji. Just a few scratches."

Onoki looked him up and down with a scrutinising eye. "That's not a few scratches Naruto, you need medical attention."

He show his head. "This blood isn't mine, it's theirs." He gestured to the bodies and body pieces.

"Did you do this yourself Naruto?" Yerugio asked, approaching.

Kyuubi answered for him. "Those that are intact are his, the more messy one was me."

"Naturally." Yerugio sighed. "We wondered why you didn't turn up at the academy at the time we gave you, so we came to find you. Now we know why."

Naruto faced the older ninja. "Yerugio-sensei. I can't take the test tonight. I need to clean up and fix these cuts."

Yerugio just smiled. "That's quite alright Naruto. In fact I can give you your headband now." Naruto's flabbergasted expression showed his confusion. "For you to have taken down these ninja proves your skills. I will like to see your true capabilities later but you have enough to pass now. Congratulations."

Naruto accepted the headband with his cleanest hand, handing it to Kyuubi who took it in a tail. The blood had boiled from the fox and left it clean when it flushed its body with youki. "Thank you Yerugio-sensei."

Yerugio shook his head. "I am no longer your sensei now you have graduated. Your new sensei will meet you the day after tomorrow, giving me a day to see how good you really are. When you are cleaned up come by the academy tomorrow and we will see what you can do."

Onoki nodded his consent as well. "Well done Naruto. A slightly unorthodox method of proving your skills but well done all the same. You are now an Iwa genin."

Naruto's smile penetrated the blood, actually making him look quite creepy. "Thank you Jiji."

"Now, let's get you home and cleaned up. Then we can find out just how those three got in so easily."

* * *

From the shadows a silent sigh followed the four figures away from the bloody mess left behind. Jiraiya ran a hand through his hair, the jinchuuriki was far more capable than he imagined and the Kyuubi far less discreet. The fox had no restraint in how much force it used to defend Naruto and even the blonde was an adept fighter, the way he adapted so easily to the fight was incredible. He was good.

But not perfect. Jiraiya had seen the injuries he sustained, even if he brushed those aside, and it proved the weapon wasn't immune. He could use that, after all information was his business. Such intelligence on the jinchuuriki was almost invaluable, Konoha would pay generously for such information.

With a greedy grin Jiraiya rose and departed the scene, already thinking up things to spend the fortune on when he delivered his report to the Hokage.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Chapter 12**

* * *

The Life of the Hunted

Chapter 12

Team allocation day. The day all the new Iwa ninja genin were assigned to teams with a jounin sensei. All the genin were sitting in the academy, Naruto wearing his band around his shoulder instead of his head like many others traditionally did. Kyuubi didn't wear a band, as soon as the fox returned to the seal the band was destroyed. A replacement was offered but refused, stating it would only result in the same thing.

Yerugio entered the room, eying his former students and resting his gaze on Naruto. He had tested the blonde as a formality the day previous, finding him to have suitable skills for a ninja even if he failed the first test. The second test, that he would have taken, would have been a pass for him by a safe margin, so Yerugio had no reservations about letting Naruto become a ninja.

However there was a complication with the teams. He knew Kurotsuchi wouldn't be on any team without Naruto and he didn't know of a third member who could fit in to such a team, nor a jounin who could compliment their skills and train them to their full extent.

Kurotsuchi was an easier student to place though, her skills in stealth and evasion were suited in a variety of situations, most jounin could train her with ease. The problem laid with Naruto. His uniqueness was his strength and his weakness, no one Yerugio knew could train the blonde to his benefit. The only things he could learn from any jounin he had already gotten the basics of, further training would be beneficial but he couldn't learn anything new unlike any other Iwa genin.

Then there was Kyuubi. The fox couldn't be anywhere without Naruto due to the seal and Yerugio didn't know if Iwa could consider Kyuubi as a ninja. Complications surrounded the three most promising in his class and it had taken a meeting with the Tsuchikage to solve the issues.

He remembered it clearly as Onoki sat down with him and went through all the potential genin and team combinations. Only the Tsuchikage could see the possibilities open to Iwa and the genin graduates. So that afternoon was spent creating the teams and assigning the jounin leaders to them, even Naruto's and Kurotsuchi's team was compiled.

So it was that he read out the teams in number order, working down the list until he reached the final team. He cleared his throat and glanced at the remaining genin to be assigned.

Kurotsuchi had sparkles in her eyes, obviously guessing she was with Naruto as both had yet to be called. Naruto just sat with Kyuubi giving Yerugio a hard eye, promising pain should he try anything stupid with the teams. The blonde himself wasn't too bothered, on the outside. But Yerugio knew enough to tell that Naruto was at least nervous on the inside.

"Team ten will consist of Kurotsuchi, Naruto and Kyuubi. Your sensei will be Suki Yamanachi."

There was much discussion between the genin in the room when team ten was announced. Having the Kyuubi on a team was one of the points being discusses, but so was the jounin assigned to them. Suki had a reputation among Iwa, team ten was in for an interesting time.

With the final team announced Yerugio stood again. "You're senseis will be here to collect you for their own purposes. Remain here until you are called."

Naruto sat with Kurotsuchi and Kyuubi as they waited for their sensei. Three teams had already left before a female jounin entered the room, drawing everyone's attention. To say she had a nice figure would be an understatement, she was practically sculptured to perfection. She wore the standard uniform but she wore it very well, hugging her figure and making most of the males drool. Her silver hair framed her face, two bright purple eyes scanning the room.

"Team ten, with me."

She left as Naruto and Kurotsuchi rose from their seats, all the drooling males sending hate glares at them for having the 'hot' jounin. A warning growl from Kyuubi stopped the looks, melting into pure jealousy.

The three made their way out of the room to see their sensei-to-be holding another door open. Wordlessly they entered another room for privacy, the jounin allowing the door to close again. They all sat together, Naruto and Kurotsuchi facing the jounin with Kyuubi sitting beside the blonde.

The silver haired female sighed as she sat. "Right. Hopefully by now you will have guessed that I am your sensei. And hopefully you will know my name as Suki Yamanachi. But perhaps you don't know me as an expert on Genjustu, perhaps the best expert there is." Kyuubi raised a brow but didn't comment on the statement. "I want to personally congratulate you all on passing the tests to become a genin, but there is one more test for you to undertake for me to decide if I can work with you or not. That test shall be tomorrow morning, seven thirty at training ground four." The mention of another test had Naruto nervous again, but he did his best not to show it. "But for now, why don't we get to know each other a little?"

Kurotsuchi piped up at that. "Uh, sensei?"

Suki waved a hand at the black haired girl. "Suki-sensei please."

Kurotsuchi nodded, more to herself. "Suki-sensei, we live together. There's nothing we don't know about each other."

She quirked a brow. "So brother and sister then, I assume?" Kurotsuchi and Naruto nodded, making Suki turn to Kyuubi. "And I already know you are sealed inside Naruto, but I didn't expect you to be classed as a ninja."

Kyuubi flashed its teeth briefly. "For the purposes of this team I am a ninja, but you cannot demand anything of me simply because there are many things I am incapable of. Other than that I am here solely to protect Naruto, and anyone else he feels needs my protection."

Suki nodded. "I see. Well I'm glad you allowed me to know where I stand with you. I shall do my best not to get on your bad side."

Kyuubi pushed its head forwards to her ear and spoke very quietly, quiet enough so only she heard the words. "There isn't much you can do to anger me, except for placing Naruto and Kurotsuchi in danger, so you don't need to worry. However, should you keep looking at him like that then I will be forced to warn you formally."

Kyuubi withdrew its head, leaving a slightly rosy cheeked Suki averting her eyes from her team. Kyuubi was good, it had seen through her attempts to hide her attraction to the blonde before her. He may only be eight years old but Suki knew he would turn into a fine young male in not many years time, she wanted to stake her claim early before he began to attract too much competition.

Sadly she had no idea of the mental damage she could do if she moved to fast, but Kyuubi did. If she made advancements that were too much too soon then the fox would intervene. She also had no idea what he had been through in Konoha, if she had even the faintest idea she would be completely different towards him. As would many people.

Suki sent a slight nod to Kyuubi before turning back to her team. "Well, in that case could you introduce yourselves properly to me so I know who I have on my team? I'll go first for appearances sake. My name, as you know, is Suki Yamanachi. Some of my likes are a little beyond you but I do like vulpine creatures." Kyuubi looked at her oddly at that. "I dislike snakes and most of the other reptilian creatures, and one thing you don't not know about me is my hair was originally black before it turned colour by itself." Suki pointed to Kurotsuchi. "Your turn."

Kurotsuchi sat a little straighter. "I am Kurotsuchi. My likes are the colour red and sneaking up on people. My dislikes are Konoha ninja and people who rely on brute strength to solve everything. One thing you might not know about me is both my parents died on the same day, one year apart."

Naruto looked at her as she said it. There was a slight hint of hurt in her features but he could tell she wanted no comfort, she had gotten used to that fact so telling it had little effect on her now.

Then it was the blonde's turn. "Uh, I am Naruto. My likes are Kyuubi and my family. My dislikes are Konoha and my so called parents, and anyone related to them in any way." The hatred was almost visible as he spoke. "All the things no one knows about me will only disturb them, my time in Konoha was far from pleasant."

Everyone got the hint, no one dared to ask. Kyuubi was the last to go. "I am Kyuubi, the nine tailed fox as everyone knows. My likes aren't worth listing at the moment since you will not understand them and my dislikes include snakes amongst other things. We never did get along." Suki shuddered at the mention of snakes. "One thing people don't know about me? I am a famous entity across the world, what do people _not_ know of me? Hmm, perhaps the fact that I wish to find and kill Naruto's true mother, for all the things no child should have to go through that she has left him to experience."

Suki and Kurotsuchi shuddered, the tone in which Kyuubi spoke combined with the way they knew it could kill chilled their spines. Kyuubi flashed its teeth for effect, only adding to the menacing air.

"Right... Well. How about we call it a day and we meet for your test tomorrow morning?" Suki did her best to calm herself after the fox's small rant.

Naruto and Kurotsuchi nodded as they rose, Kyuubi walking alongside the blonde as they returned home.

Suki watched them go, thinking that this was by far her most interesting team. The prospect of having the Tsuchikage's granddaughter, the former Konoha jinchuuriki _and_ the Kyuubi on top was a daunting prospect, one which would earn her immeasurable respect in Iwa if she succeeded in raising them all up to their full potentials. She mused to herself whilst mentally preparing the test for the morning, she needed to know first hand what they were capable of but she also didn't want to engage Kyuubi in a fight no matter what the circumstances. Ally or not she knew the fox could destroy her with but a flick of its tails, the genin test having proved that.

She sighed, she was in for an interesting time with her team. Especially the blonde kid who she still had to stake her claim to.

* * *

The next morning saw team ten assembling at the designated training ground. There wasn't much there except for some sparse tree cover, planted by Iwa purposely to mimic the conditions in fire country. Kyuubi left the seal once they arrived, waiting for Suki to turn up.

Naruto paced around as Kurotsuchi tapped her foot impatiently. Suki wasn't late but the black haired girl always hated waiting, even if she was early herself. Kyuubi just sat watching the two genin, an amused grin on its muzzle. Secretly though the fox was bored as well, it hoped this test was decent enough to interest it fully. Kyuubi hated easy challenges.

Suki arrived after a few minutes, earning a light glare from Kurotsuchi. "Good, you're all here. The test I have planned for you should challenge you enough to go all out." Kyuubi's eyes gleamed with the thought of cutting loose. "On me I have five ribbons. Your individual goal is to seize two of those whilst making sure you aren't rendered unable to fight. I am able to immobilise each of you, including you Kyuubi, by various means so charging in for a ribbon simply won't work, you need to keep it as I can take it back from you. Only those with two ribbons will pass, anyone else will be sent back to the academy. You have two hours to complete the challenge, starting now."

Suki vanished with speed, leaving Naruto with Kurotsuchi and Kyuubi. The blonde was already looking for where she had gone.

Kyuubi saw the look in his eyes. "Naruto, think for a minute." The blonde diverted his eyes to the fox. "There are three of us, five ribbons and we each need two. What doesn't add up here?"

Naruto scoffed. "One of us won't have two ribbons, I know. But we still need to recover them anyway, so standing here won't help at all. We can deal with the missing ribbon later."

Kyuubi looked sceptical but didn't comment. "There is no need to search, I know where she is."

Kurotsuchi gave the fox a snort. "Just because you're a demon fox doesn't make you all knowing Kyuubi!"

The fox snorted back. "No, but being a demon fox with a high sensitivity to chakra means I can detect any and all humans or other beings with chakra or youki at extreme ranges." Kurotsuchi huffed in response. "So I know she is roughly five minutes swift running to our left."

Team ten orientated themselves in the direction Kyuubi stated and began running to catch up. They slowed after four minutes, not wanting to alert Suki to their arrival.

Sure enough they could just make her out hiding behind a tree, the only thing between them and her was a few feet of open ground.

Kurotsuchi smirked. "The first ribbon is mine!"

Kyuubi stopped her with its tails before she could run off. Naruto spoke quietly. "Can't you see it?" Kurotsuchi looked again but shook her head. "Genjustu. She's layered the area with an illusion that is likely hiding traps for us."

The black haired genin couldn't see any signs though. "How-"

"Me, Kurotsuchi." Kyuubi interjected. "Naruto can sense Genjustu because of me. I am still sealed inside him and I can naturally detect Genjustu of many types, I simply passed that sense on to him because I am sealed within him." The fox regarded the blonde for a second. "Although he can't use Genjustu himself, nor can he break anything but a basic one. This one is fairly complex, she's a Genjustu master."

Kurotsuchi reassessed the ground before her. "Kyuubi, you can control the wind right?"

"Control is the wrong word, influence is more apt. If I wasn't sealed then I could control the wind and much more as well."

Kurotsuchi nodded, making a mental note of the information. "Can you send a mild blast of wind into that Genjustu and trigger the traps there? I could use kunai but wind is more natural and will seem less suspicious."

Kyuubi smirked, Kurotsuchi was smart. Very smart. "I certainly can, hold on."

The fox gently flicked its tails forwards, a fairly strong gust of wind washing over the area. A series of clicks and twangs were heard but nothing was seen. Suki tensed from behind her cover, feeling the wind wash past her gently. She glanced at her traps, seeing them all triggered but nothing else was in the area. She became confused.

_'I set those traps well, no gust of wind could trigger them! But nothing else is there... So what tripped them?'_ She looked around again, feeling a light wind tease her hair. _'Funny, I didn't think there would be any wind today...'_

Three blurs leapt at her from different angles, trapping her between them as she was tackled to the ground. She switched herself with the only nearby log, seeing her team scatter once they noticed the substitution. _'They're good... Too good. Already working as a team, but then again they have been together for a long time already. I should have seen this coming.'_

Further thought was cut off as they engaged her again, forcing her to substitute a second time. She actually used the same log as before, placing her back where she originally was. Sadly Kurotsuchi had placed a trap in the area before they moved off, so Suki got hit with the kunai barrage. She switched again, ending up in between her team.

Kurotsuchi had a kunai to her throat, Naruto one above her heart and Kyuubi had its tails wrapped around her limbs, two more poised above her. She also felt her chakra being disturbed, rendering abilities useless. They had her.

Suki smiled lightly. "Impressive, but who's disrupting my chakra? That's not something we can teach."

"That would be the exposure to my youki." Kyuubi's voice drifted across. "In fact there is a trace amount running through your chakra network as we speak, agitating your own chakra and preventing you from focusing it."

"Interesting, and how may I ask is that achieved?"

"Direct contact with myself. Of course I can choose not to affect those I touch, hence why Naruto has never suffered any ill effects, but I can also increase the amount to whatever I feel like. Strong exposure will result in a painful and dramatic death." The fox's voice was calm throughout the entire explanation, adding to the malice just a little. "Now, the ribbons if you please."

Suki conceded defeat, placing all five ribbons on the ground before her. "There are three of you and only five ribbons. Who isn't having two?" _'You haven't won yet...'_

Kurotsuchi and Naruto stood back, releasing Suki now the test was over. Kyuubi also retreated to them. "We are all having none." The two human members of team ten nodded in agreement.

Suki was surprised but hid it well. "If none of you take them then none of you pass."

Naruto snorted. "It's better to all fail than for some of us to pass. We are a team, we stand together." Kurotsuchi nodded again.

Suki sighed. "I see. Very well then." She picked up the ribbons, pocketing them. "In that case you all pass. Congratulations." She looked her team over. Kyuubi had a smug look on its muzzle, Kurotsuchi seemed confused and Naruto just stood with a knowing look. "I see you don't understand Kurotsuchi."

The black haired girl shook her head. "No, I understand alright. It was a test of teamwork. I'm just confused as to what we are supposed to do now."

"Well, you will meet me at the mission room in two days, where we will be assigned our first mission. For the meantime I will suggest some form of training amongst yourself, prepare for the mission as well."

"But without knowing what we are going to get, how will we prepare?"

Naruto looked to his adoptive sister. "Nee-chan, we ninja must prepare for every eventuality. There's no telling what lies in store for us so we need to be ready for everything."

Suki nodded. "Well said Naruto. I see great things for this team. Now, we will meet in two days. I hope you use this free time well."

With those words said she vanished once more. Team ten dusted themselves off before returning to the Tsuchikage's palace, intending on getting a nice hot bath followed by some training. Kyuubi was one hell of a mentor.

* * *

**A/N: Yes I used a modified version of the canon 'Kakashi test' but I couldn't think of anything else. Perhaps team ten seems a little overpowered at the moment but don't worry, they'll find themselves out of the depth from time to time just like anyone else would. At the moment Suki is a weaker jounin than the others so the gap between student and teacher isn't as vast as on canon team nine.**

**Also, who should be the third member of team seven in Konoha? With Naruto out of the question (obviously) who should take his place? Send me your suggestions.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Right, firstly I'm sorry this is late. I literally couldn't get the words down in time. And as a direct result I'm going to have to make this story updated as and when I have chapters. No more regular updates. Why? Because as I explained before, canon Naruto just sucks. Too much doesn't make sense and seems like him attention seeking just for the hell of it. That and I'm running a very busy life s****chedule full of various crap that eats my time up. I'll still do this story though, it will just be a bit slower. Bear with me if you will.**

**And also a thankyou to those who suggested the third member for team seven (Konoha). I can confirm it will be Sai now (as he simply makes sense anyway). Apart from that, here's a chapter. I can't promise a date for the next one but be on the look out, it will come.**

* * *

The Life of the Hunted

Chapter 13

Naruto sighed heavily as he flopped onto his bed. Kyuubi padded up beside him, casting an eye over the blonde.

"D ranks suck Kyuubi."

The fox grinned but had to agree. They had been Iwa genin for a year now and all they had done were trivial civilian tasks. There had been absolutely nothing of interest in that entire year, except for Naruto's birthday with the festival. He still enjoyed those.

Team ten knew that D ranks provided them with an income and experience for later missions, but it didn't make the boredom any less annoying. Kurotsuchi had lost her patience several times in the mission room, Kyuubi had to restrain her with her tails. Oh, that was the only other development. Kyuubi had a gender.

She smiled inwardly as she recalled the time Naruto found out about the gender of his friend. His reaction had been so memorable that it was a wonder when Kurotsuchi topped it all.

* * *

Kyuubi sat opposite Naruto, slitted eyes watching the blonde as he stared back at Kurotsuchi. They were holding some form of staring contest between each other. Kurotsuchi was determined to be more patient after being restrained three times in the mission room, Naruto just wanted to beat her. All three had had a sizable amount of sake as well, Suki treating them provided they kept it quiet. You could almost see the test between their eyes, the stares becoming glares before Kurotsuchi blinked.

"Ha! Got you again nee-chan!"

Her head hit the table. That was three straight losses for her, but she had other ways of making a comeback. "That just means you enjoy staring at me Naruto."

The blonde just blinked once. "Only because it makes you lose again, _Kurotsuchi_." He purposely exaggerated her name for effect, seeing her face light up with a rosy tint. Even though she had just hit double figures for age, Naruto turning nine a week before, she had mentally matured much further. So her reaction wasn't quite so off base. Naruto though only knew that it made her flustered, he didn't understand why but when it came to getting his own back he didn't mind.

Kurotsuchi glared again. "Shut up, nii-san!"

Naruto chucked to himself but let it slide. He would have plenty of other opportunities to embarrass her. Kyuubi though saw a golden chance to beat the both of them at their own game. With a devious smirk the fox cleared its throat.

"Now Naruto, that's no way to treat a lady."

Naruto just scoffed, falling right for the bait. "Kurotsuchi's still too young to be a lady Kyuubi. And anyway, what do you care? You're just as quick to humiliate the both of us."

Kyuubi saw the very moment it needed, time to seal the victory. "I care Naruto because Kurotsuchi isn't the only female in this room, and I don't want that behaviour to spread."

Naruto scratched his head, looking around the room. There was no one else present except team ten. "Eh? There's only us three here Kyuubi. Has the sake made you hallucinate again?"

Kyuubi snorted deeply. "No Naruto. Kurotsuchi is a female. You are a male. Who else is in this room?"

He blinked, Kurotsuchi also showing confusion. "Uh, you?"

Kyuubi nodded. "And there are two females in this room. One is Kurotsuchi so who is the other one eh?"

Now, even if Naruto was observant like anyone else the sake would have dulled his mind a little. As it was he just stared dumbly at the fox while his mind failed to piece the facts together. Kurotsuchi though figured it out for them both, spraying sake across the room as she realised what was being said.

"You?" She spluttered, eyes wide. "You're female?"

By now Naruto had caught up with them, all three on the same page so to speak. Kyuubi just nodded, savouring the reactions. Naruto's mouth worked for a few seconds before finding some form of language.

"You... But... Eh? There's no... Uh... So..."

A tail bonked him on the head. "It's not difficult to understand Naruto. I'm either male or female just like every other living being. I just happen to be female. Is that a problem, blondie?"

Naruto rubbed his head. "Don't call me that! I'm just trying to understand that I've had a _female_ demon fox sealed within me for my entire life, and said _female_ demon fox didn't think to share that information with me!"

Kyuubi smirked. "Well a certain blonde ninja never thought to ask, did he?"

Naruto grumbled, still unable to grasp the concept of Kyuubi being female. Though saw a golden opportunity arise. "So nii-san. You've been seeing a girl without my knowledge? _And_ you've had said girl in your bedroom on countless nights."

The blonde registered further confusion. "What are you trying to say?"

Kurotsuchi made a particular gesture that made his face turn bright red. "Naruto and Kyuubi, in the same room with the door closed, no doubt in the same bed. It doesn't take much working out nii-san."

Kyuubi did her best not to laugh at the comment. Sadly it didn't stop Naruto from literally passing out.

* * *

Naruto hadn't commented on Kyuubi's gender at all since that day. Kyuubi actually wondered if he had forgotten, possibly on purpose, or if he was trying to ignore it. Reminiscing behind her Kyuubi realised he had spoken.

"I doubt any ninja enjoys D rank missions, but at least they pay."

Naruto grumbled into his bed but said nothing else. Kyuubi just smiled at his response to D ranks. Even she had to admit they were boring. But they had amassed a fair amount of financial support for themselves in the year they had been ninja. Even Suki was impressed by how wealthy they had all become, but that was partly due to Kyuubi. The demon fox had no need for money so her share was distributed to the other three. As a result they each earnt noticeably more than any other Iwa genin on D ranks. But it didn't make them any less boring.

Training was also going well. Kurotsuchi was fast becoming a stealth prodigy, with a fairly good strength in Genjustu as well courtesy of Suki, and would be a potent asset in the field. Kyuubi was simply Kyuubi, there was nothing she could be taught by humans that would benefit her, she was plenty dangerous enough as it was too.

Naruto was more complicated. Suki had originally tried to teach him Genjustu but after a lot of failures, and advice from Kyuubi, she had given up on that. True to the fox's words Naruto simply couldn't cast a single Genjustu. Ninjutsu was a different matter all together. Suki had given him some basic earth Jutsu to use, which he managed to succeed in casting, but on testing his elemental affinity they found he had a strong attunement to wind Jutsu. He also had a secondary, lesser attunement to fire, but Kyuubi summarised that he had that as a result of her being sealed within him. Kyuubi was a fire specialist in compassion to all of Iwa so she gave him a few Jutsu to try as well. She might not be able to cast them herself but she could still teach others. Wind Jutsu though was a problem, no one in Iwa knew any so Naruto wasn't taught a single one. He had to make do with fire and earth.

Not to say that was a bad thing. One of the first times he accidentally combined a fire and earth Jutsu he had created a lava Jutsu, more specifically a lava dragon Jutsu. Suki was glad the training grounds could be repaired, the damage that thing caused was startling. Countering lava was also notoriously difficult. If you used wind to erode the earth within it then the fire would be super heated, which in itself is a problem. If you used water to quench the flames then the earth became mud and hurt a hell of a lot, and immobilised you. Of course you could use both counters to fully stop the Jutsu, but you needed a lot of time to do so. Time most ninja wouldn't have against team ten or any other ninja.

But even all that didn't make D ranks any less monotonous. Especially since they were due to do another one tomorrow. Naruto sighed deeply, wishing he could get past the boring work.

* * *

Suki was also bored, but not just because of the D ranks. She still hadn't been able to make Kyuubi less obstructive to her with Naruto. Bored and downright frustrated. She could see there was a protective nature about the fox but she didn't know why it was so strong, what had happened to Naruto to make Kyuubi so protective? Asking the blonde would solve nothing, seeing as Kyuubi would likely see that as the wrong move, so Suki had to ask the fox herself. That could be a fun conversation, providing she could get Kyuubi away from Naruto for long enough. Even she had trouble believing the fox was female.

But at least she had begun to earn the respect of the other jounin in Iwa. Her team was talked about by most of the village, seeing who made up the team. A demon fox, the granddaughter of the Tsuchikage and a former resident of Konoha tended to attract that sort of attention.

At least Konoha had seemed to stop their attempts to 'retrieve' Naruto. Upon investigation the three who attacked him before weren't actually Konoha ninja. They had managed to secure headbands from the village but they were in fact rogue ninja from Suna. They had obviously heard about the events surrounding Naruto and thought to incite further tension. It almost worked until the bodies, or what was left of them, were identified.

In fact Konoha had been very quiet for a while. There had been nothing new between the land of fire and Iwa for over a year now. Jiraiya was the last development, and he had left already. Or so everyone thought. The sanin had kept himself out of sight for the most part, or using a henge Jutsu to hide his true self. He made the village believe he had left and assumed another identity to return in secret. He also had a trusted, reliable scout keeping an eye on Naruto and Kyuubi, just in case things happened that he himself wasn't around to witness.

All this within a year. So while it seemed like a quiet time, under the surface many things were preparing their moves. Jiraiya had his motives, Konoha had their own goals. And Suki had her attempts to claim Naruto before someone else did. When they all fell into place was anyone's guess, but practically no one knew of the conspiracies or schemes anyway. Circles within circles, with a few twists for good measure. But one thing was certain. When it was all ready, the shit storm would rock the lives of many people.

* * *

Another two months passed with team ten doing D ranks. Upon the completion of the latest one, both Kurotsuchi and Naruto snapped.

Kurotsuchi started things off. "I've had it with these D ranks already! Give us something actually worth doing?"

It was the same line that she had always used before. Kyuubi instinctively restrained her, but was taken aback by the blonde's response.

"Yeah, these D ranks are for civilians! We are ninja, give us a ninja mission!"

Even Suki wasn't expecting that, but she found herself agreeing with them both. "We've been doing these for over a year now, it is time we moved up to more suitable missions."

The mission handler just shook his head. "Tsuchikage's orders. I'm sorry. No genin team is to undertake anything above a D rank until they have been ninja for two years."

Ever the patient one, even Kyuubi snapped at that. "Two years! You have got to be joking!" Her tails released Kurotsuchi and instead whipped around dangerously, small gusts of wind racing around the room. "I am not putting up with this crap for another year!" Her eyes narrowed, her tails grabbing the mission handler and hoisting him into the air. **"I did not agree to become a member of this team just to run trivial **_**bullshit**_** for two years! I am a demon fox, not some hapless **_**lackey**_** bent to the will of an old man!"**Her voice became demonic as she drew on more of her youki from within the seal.

The mission handler paled as he was lectured. He didn't get a second to respond to anything since being lifted into the air. Kyuubi released him, allowing him to drop into his seat again, and faced him with an expression that promised certain agony should he refuse her warning. He gulped audibly before clearing his throat. "All I can say is to ask the Tsuchikage himself. I can't go against my orders-"

"To hell you can't! That's an excuse and you know it! Give us a damned mission!" The fox's voice returned to her more normal tone.

He tried to protest again but a glare from the fox stopped him. "Fine, but I am not taking the blame for this." He pulled a scroll from the desk. "Hopefully this will satisfy you."

He handed them the scroll and watched them leave, thankful the fox didn't make do on her promise there and then. He sighed as they left the room. He needed a new job.

* * *

Outside the mission room team ten made their way to somewhere quiet to review their mission. Once seated Suki opened the scroll and read out their briefing.

"Mission start is subject to further information. Travel to Wave country under cover. High priority target will be accompanied by unknown Konoha ninja. Target elimination is a must, Konoha ninja are optional but bonus payment will be rewarded for their termination. Quick completion time will also incur a bonus." She looked to her team. "Any questions?" Kurotsuchi shook her head, Kyuubi gained an excited glint in her eyes. Naruto looked at Suki, looking dangerous and slightly hungry. "Good. We should leave tomorrow. I'll leave a clone here to pick up the last pieces of the mission so we know who we will be up against as well as when they leave, so we can prepare ourselves accordingly. Make sure you're ready by the gates at first light." She allowed a warm yet menacing smile. "It's time we did a real job."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Chapter 14... Finally. My appologies for taking so long, the words wouldn't come to me as I sat in front of the doc. But bear with me, I will see this through. I might just take a while to get there...**

* * *

The Life of the Hunted

Chapter 14

Travel to Wave country took team ten three days through potentially hostile territory, using Suki's Genjustu to hide them from patrols and Kyuubi's wind manipulation to distract the patrols while they moved on. Uneventful but good experience for all of them in evasion and stealth.

Now they were just inside Wave country, making steady progress towards the target area. Suki's first clone in Iwa had dispelled to deliver the remaining information on the mission, she had left two behind in case something else came through while they were away. Turns out a new genin team from Konoha were escorting the target so opposition would be mild.

They were discussing tactics when a puddle, very out of place in the mild weather, came into view. Kyuubi saw it for what it was as the rest of the team passed it by. Without warning her tails stabbed into the pool of water, a wet sickening noise echoing forth before she lifted two impaled corpses into the air and threw them aside. They wore dark cloaks with a metal clawed gauntlet on opposite hands. A barbed chain linked the gauntlets, a potent weapon if they got their target in between them.

Suki studied the bodies. "It seems we have competition, these are the demon brothers."

"Were." Kyuubi corrected.

"Were. We should keep our guard up, if these two were after our target then there could be others. Keep close and watch your back."

They set off again, more weary of an ambush that wasn't necessarily for them.

* * *

Kakashi moved at a leisurely pace with his team in tow, guarding the bridge builder as they entered Wave country. He sighed again as he reviewed his team composition, how anyone could have formed such a team was a mystery.

First there was the quiet Sai, one who specialised in drawing creatures and bringing them to life to fight his enemies. He showed real promise if he could stop being so withdrawn.

Sauske was the last Uchiha in Konoha after the massacre, and he dwelt on his petty revenge far too long. He too had decent skills but had a narrow mind when it came to using them, striving to use all his power at once to prove how strong he felt he was.

And lastly was Sakura, a girl from a civilian background. She was smart but lacked virtually any combat useful abilities, spending all her time hanging on Sauske's every word and generally acting like a monumental fan girl. In Kakashi's eyes she was the most useless of the group.

They were walking in a standard escort formation when he noticed something ahead. Stopping the group he ventured forwards, seeing two mutilated bodies that obviously belonged to the demon brothers. Something, or things, had impaled them multiple times before tossing them aside. Whatever had done so wasn't interested in bounties.

Kakashi waved his group over. "We have company."

Sakura immediately threw up at seeing the bodies, Sai and Sauske both seemed interested in what could have done it. Kakashi turned to their client, Tazuna.

"Someone's after you, aren't they Tazuna?"

The man sighed before admitting there were a few things left out of the contract, saying Wave couldn't afford anything more than a C rank. Kakashi felt the mission was now at least a B rank given the presence of hostile ninja but couldn't bring himself to abandon the mission, deciding to proceed with the utmost care. Whatever laid ahead of them now he knew it wasn't going to be good.

* * *

Kyuubi stopped the party again when a scent hit her nose. Naruto looked in her direction of view and saw a white rabbit, something very out of pace that could only be used as a substitute. Suki also came to the same conclusion, scanning around for anything else unusual. A chakra signature approached them rapidly, a faint whistling in the air.

"Get down!"

Team ten hit the deck as a large sword flew overhead an embedded itself in a tree. A dissatisfied sigh came from a figure who appeared on the sword, the male seeming bored.

"You aren't the one we are after." A sudden gleam entered his eyes. "But we can still have some fun."

Suki identified the man with ease, having seen him in the bingo book. "Zabuza, demon of the hidden mist. First the demon brothers and now you."

"So you were the ones to take them down. Impressive but futile, you will fall before my blade." Zabuza jumped down and ripped his massive sword from the tree, swinging it around in what could only be described as a show off.

Kyuubi raised her tails but ironically ran out of time outside the seal. Before she could do anything her form dispersed into youki that flowed back into Naruto, leaving team ten one member down already.

Zabuza quirked a brow at the display but settled into his ready stance, calling forth his signature Jutsu and covering the area with a dense fog. Team ten watched as his form faded from view as maniacal laughter echoed all around them.

"You cannot hit what you cannot see..."

In the seal Kyuubi came to, cursing the seal for its limitations. **"Naruto, use my senses. Find him."** She was at least thankful that they could communicate though.

Naruto focused on the fox's youki and tried to locate the swordsman. He had little experience using the youki so couldn't garner any useful information from his surroundings. He narrowly avoided a slash at his neck, ducking down under the monster blade as Zabuza vanished again as he left a parting message.

"You're quick, perhaps I'll save you for last."

Kurotsuchi whirled around at a disturbance, jumping over the blade and twisting around as it moved to follow her. Drawing two kunai she launched forwards, picking out a silhouette in the mist. She reared her arms back and lunged, diverting away at the last minute as the silhouette became Naruto. Her blades passed by harmlessly as the blonde ducked under her, his arms catching her and spinning her to stand back to back with him. He drew his own kunai and pushed out his senses, searching for anything within the rolling fog.

Suki leapt towards them, intending to stay together, just as the blade swept at her. With no other options she quickly made a clone and substituted herself with it, the copy being shredded by the sword as Suki rejoined her team. She nodded to the blonde.

"I think it's time you tried your Jutsu Naruto. Don't hold back."

Naruto nodded back and focused his chakra. The ground shook as a large head burst from it, glowing with red oppressive heat. The body followed, pulling itself free as the mist began to boil away from the intense temperature. Naruto's lava dragon was born.

The beast roared once before charging at Zabuza, now partially visible through the thinned mist. The head smashed into the ground, taking a water clone out with it as Zabuza substituted with one. He stood, sword ready, upon a lake and taunted the beast towards him. Naruto smirked, Zabuza had no idea what he was doing. His plan would work well against a fire Jutsu, but not so much against lava.

With a savage growl the dragon lunged at Zabuza, who simply unleashed his water prison Jutsu and trapped the beast. Zabuza watched on as the lava cooled, but quickly realised his mistake when the dragon became mud.

_'Very clever.'_

Now in its element again the dragon burst from the prison, Zabuza breaking away and evading the snapping jaws. Another water clone was created and sacrificed to save his hide, the dragon rearing to locate its prey again.

Meanwhile Naruto decided Zabuza needed another playmate, summoning a second lava dragon to assist with the mud one. With them so close together the mud hardened and melted, turning the mud dragon back into a lava one. Zabuza paled, dodging another set of jaws.

_'You have got to be kidding me!'_

However he saw a flaw in the style. Seizing his opportunity he dived in between the dragons, their colossal forms smashing into each other and falling apart. Zabuza righted himself but frowned, feeling his mist still receding. He turned around as he felt intense heat behind him.

Where once was two lava dragons colliding now stood a two headed lava dragon, the two beasts having merged into one Jutsu. Both heads came at him, making him roll aside.

"This just isn't possible!"

As much as he wanted to deny it he saw the skill in the blonde's techniques. Each time he thought he had beaten the Jutsu something else would happen to throw him into a defensive manoeuvre. He couldn't find a way to counter the lava dragon that came at him again and again. But he had one last contingency. He made a signal seemingly to no one, seconds later two ice like needles sliced through the air and embedded themselves in Naruto's neck.

The blonde twitched from the pain they caused shortly before blacking out, his form landing on the ground.

"Nii-san!"

**"Naruto!"**

Twin cries, only one heard by all except the blonde they addressed. Kurotsuchi dropped beside him, instantly fearing the worst but took comfort when she felt his steady pulse in his neck. She removed the needles, throwing them aside where they shattered like glass, and cradled his head in her lap.

Kyuubi could sense nothing now. Naruto was her link to the outside world, with him out she was cut off. She could still leave the seal though once her power had replenished enough but for the time being the fox felt useless.

**"I failed you Naruto. I said I would protect you but when you needed me the most I couldn't be there."** She dropped her head in shame, finding a sliver of resolve rapidly growing in her heart. **"I shall not do so again. Even if it kills me I will find a way to keep you safe, that is my vow to you Naruto. It's the very least I can do."**

Suki stood vigilant over her team, eyes fixed on Zabuza as he recovered from the dragon Jutsu. The twin headed beast had fallen apart once the blonde had gone down, letting his mist recover and freeing himself to have his fun again. She watched as the fog concealed him again, casting a secret Genjustu over herself and her team to make them appear elsewhere in the mist.

_'Two can play at this game, Zabuza.'_

Under the cover of her illusion she knelt beside Kurotsuchi to check on Naruto. He was still, unmoving except for the rise and fall of his chest. Suki glanced around, seeing Zabuza stalk past towards her Genjustu self. There was someone else around helping him but the fog made it impossible for her to locate them. Kurotsuchi wouldn't have any more luck than her either, they were stuck until Zabuza got bored or found them.

Kyuubi though could feel something different. Naruto wasn't fully unconscious. She couldn't reach him by any means of communication but she felt him draw directly on her youki. It was slight at first but quickly grew as he tapped into more and more of her power. His senses fired up again, but they were different. Kyuubi could hear with her own ears, smell with her own nose. His eyes snapped open, allowing her to see with her own eyes.

Naruto's eyes weren't the usual blue colour. Instead they were read with a black vertical slitted pupil. His muscles bulged as his hair grew longer and more wild, his nails lengthened and sharpened. His canines extended and poked out from his mouth, a snarl forming on his lips.

Kurotsuchi and Suki leapt away as Naruto bellowed a guttural shout of rage, eyes watching Zabuza as he glided through the mist. Almost as quick as lightning he darted forwards, grabbing the swordsman by the throat and tossing him into a tree. The body dispersed into water as Zabuza substituted again, noting the sudden change in the blonde's composure. It seemed he would continue to surprise the swordsman as he hefted his monster blade in front of him.

Naruto, or whatever he had become, levelled a hatred filled glare at Zabuza before charging forth again. Kyuubi watched on in horror as her potent youki corrupted her blonde, driving him into a blind rage even as she tried to pull her power away from him.

**"I will destroy you!"**

Kyuubi flinched from his voice as he shouted at Zabuza, seeing him dive at him again and again. Zabuza lost a clone each time due to Naruto's sheer speed, but for the moment he was able to keep ahead of the blonde. He could tell though that eventually the kid would get the better of him so he sent his signal again to his accomplice, feeling them rush towards them.

Suki could sense the other presence now but couldn't do anything as Naruto was suddenly encased in a dome of ice like mirrors. The other ninja darted inside and merged with a mirror before anyone could get a decent look at them, throwing icy needles from multiple directions at the possessed blonde jinchuuriki.

With Naruto now trapped at the mercy of his accomplice Zabuza returned his attention to the other two ninja. He gave off a sadistic smile, time to resume his fun.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I'm still here. Writer's Block made writing this story even harder than it is already so appologies for the wait. I'm trying as hard as I can to get this stuff done but things happen.**

* * *

The Life of the Hunted

Chapter 15

Zabuza smirked at the icy prison the blonde was encased in, there was no escaping his acomplise's signature technique. He focused on the jounin of team ten as his primary target, swinging his sword at the female figure. The only thing was his sword passed clean through Suki, no marks or blood coming from what should have been a fatal blow. Instead she looked unphased, as if he hadn't even touched her. He pushed his blade forwards again, seeing the end pass into the figure with absolutely no reaction. Genjutsu.

He cursed, berating himself for falling for such petty tricks, and dispelled the illusion with a flare of chakra. Sure enough the figure vanished, only for another to appear nearby. He could tell this one was real by the way she flinched as she saw him, her ruse thwarted. His smirk returned, hefting his blade upon his shoulder as he advanced menacingly.

Inside the dome the thing that used to be Naruto swung clawed hand after clawed hand at the never ending barrage of needles that came at him. But no matter how hard they were thrown none of them penetrated his skin, bouncing off as if he was made of metal or rock. Zabuza's accomplice could find no advantage to the blonde's uncontrollable rage, one or two of the mirrors suffering near shattering blows as the jinchuuriki got too close to them. Sooner or later the blonde would break free, that had to change.

The ice needle barrage escalated, Naruto swinging left and right with snarls of rage on his lips. Growls and roars echoed from within the dome before he finally snapped, running at break neck pace towards a mirror. Contrary to what Zabuza's accomplice believed, Naruto could track the figure moving between each mirror. His arrival with the mirror would coincide completely with the arrival of his current target. It was too late to change the situation by the time Zabuza's accomplice figured it out, Naruto leaping up and smashing through the mirror with the figure inside.

As soon as Naruto was free his fist smashed into the porcelain mask the figure wore, shattering the item and sending the figure into a tree. Now they were still Naruto could see the figure properly. It was impossible to tell the gender of the figure since the body looked male, with the lack of definition females had, but the face looked feminine. Even the hair was long like a girl, but the way they moved and stood just screamed masculine.

The figure stood, wiping blood from the corner of their mouth. Zabuza sent a glance to them, addressing his accomplice

"Haku, stop wasting time! Our target could be here any time now!"

The now identified Haku drew more needle like weapons and charged the jinchuuriki, only to see the blonde move inside their guard and smash them aside again. Over and over this cycle repeated, Naruto's face contorting into sadistic pleasure shortly before running at Haku and shoving his arm clean through their torso. Blood exploded from Haku's back, the exposed spine shattering from the impact and their lower body falling limp. Haku's head rolled to one side before the entire body became completely still.

Naruto bellowed a guttural roar of victory, throwing the corpse to one side with one arm caked in blood and gore. Zabuza looked towards the blonde in time to see Haku's corpse fall against a tree, the hole in their chest plainly obvious for all to see.

Kyuubi was fighting to reign in her youki from Naruto but the jinchuuriki seemed to draw it from her faster and faster, falling victim to the berserk blood fuelled rage that was taking over. His body became surrounded with a red glow, three appendages forming from the aura. Two from his head resembling large fox like ears and one tail from the base of his spine. His bestial eyes focused on Zabuza, narrowing to slits as his legs tensed for his charge.

Zabuza just stared at Haku's corpse, unbelieving how such a child could defeat his accomplice He taught Haku everything about fighting, how did this blonde thing brush them aside so easily? Further contemplation was interrupted by said jinchuuriki charging forwards, snarling viciously as he closed in on the swordsman. Zabuza hefted his blade to impale the boy but quickly found himself flying backwards into a tree, his blade no longer in his grip. In fact the blade was in Naruto's hands, the blonde holding it and giving Zabuza a sinister smirk. With one motion he snapped the blade in two, dropping the halves and stomping them into more pieces.

Without Haku or his sword Zabuza felt broken. He had lost more than just a weapon and an accomplice, he had lost his meaning, purpose and friend. He stood where he was, spreading his arms wide and closing his eyes as Naruto drew closer.

'Here I come Haku, I'll see you soon.'

Naruto's clawed fist smashed into Zabuza, flipping him into the air as he pursued him. Before they hit the ground the jinchuuriki sunk his teeth into the swordsman's neck, ripping violently to allow a sudden wave of blood to surge from the ragged wound. Zabuza's life left him quickly, seeing Haku's face one last time as his body went limp shortly before hitting the ground.

Naruto bellowed another roar of victory before savagely slashing the corpse before him, rending Zabuza into uncountable pieces as his rage took over. Bestial urges overtook him, turning him demonic in behaviour as he bathed in the blood of his kills.

Kyuubi finally managed to replenish enough youki to leave the seal and promptly did so, forming a distance away from Naruto for safety above all else. With the sudden departure of his power source Naruto snapped his head up, the aura fading along with his appendages as his body normalised. Once his mind was his own again he looked around him and at himself. He was completely covered in blood, fragments of bone caught under his nails. The acidic liquid tainted the back of his throat, making him throw up and only adding to the gruesome sight.

Seeing he was himself again Kyuubi rushed to his side, curling a few tails around him as the others did their best to clean the blood from him. "Hush Naruto, it's over."

"I killed them Kyuubi... I slaughtered them like animals... What have I done?"

Kyuubi tightened her tails. "It wasn't you Naruto. You weren't in control, my power overtook you when you had a strong emotional reaction. It's not your fault."

Naruto was having none of it. "My hands, my body. I did this Kyuubi, I butchered them."

Kyuubi faced him with severity. "My power Naruto, not yours. It corrupted you. Yes it may have been your hands that did this but it was my power than controlled your hands, not yourself. This isn't your doing."

He fell silent, allowing her to burn the remaining blood from him and guide him to the other two. Not a word was said as they left the gore filled scene, each was occupied with their own thoughts on what happened.

* * *

Kakashi stopped his team when he smelt a disturbing smell. He advanced alone through the trees and froze, his eyes fixated on the source of the smell.

Blood. Blood everywhere, staining everything in sight. Body parts that he could just about identify as Zabuza, one of the seven swordsmen, lay strewn around and another corpse with a hole punched clean through their chest lay nearby. But that wasn't all.

Also in the clearing were four figures, vacating the scene. One was obviously a jounin by the equipment she wore, another genin female was beside her. But it was the other two that held his gaze.

Naruto and a smaller version of Kyuubi.

All wore Iwa headbands, with the exception of the fox, and all were wearing a trace amount of blood. Naruto was more covered though, some dripping from his right arm. They left the scene without words or glances around them, leaving Kakashi to wonder what they were there for.

He recalled the scene with the two demon brothers earlier, now this. Were they helping? Or merely removing competition and seeking Tazuna themselves? Or, worse still, were they here for him and his team?

He retreated back to his team, sending a clone to Konoha to inform the Hokage of this new information. If Iwa were here for any reasons except helping, he needed to think fast of a way to avoid them. Seeing the results of what they could do only amplified the danger they posed, Kyuubi's presence was really off putting. But Naruto's presence couldn't be left unmentioned regardless of the reasons for them being here. Jiraiya had informed them of the latest developments, so they knew about Kyuubi and about them being ninja, but he never expected to come across them himself on a mission no less.

This could be bad.

* * *

Team ten walked in silence as they proceeded to Wave country, each for their own reasons.

Suki was maintaining awareness of their surroundings in case of any other hostile ninja seeking their target, yet her mind was elsewhere. She could see the state Naruto was in but couldn't think of anything to change that. She cared for him as a member of her team, and possibly a bit more than that given her early interest, but his silence was worrying.

Kurotsuchi didn't know how to cheer Naruto up either. She had tried to talk to him but was met with silence or one word answers, he simply didn't want to talk. So she walked beside Suki ahead of Naruto, hoping he could sort himself out.

Kyuubi though was beside Naruto. Even if she could go elsewhere she wouldn't leave her blonde. He didn't speak to her or anyone else since leaving the clearing but it didn't stop her trying to convince him he wasn't to blame for what happened. Her words seem to fall on deaf ears though, for those who didn't see the subtle signs for themselves.

He knew there was truth in Kyuubi's words, he tapped into her youki when he went down with the needles in his neck. He didn't make himself use her power and he knew she didn't either, it was a survival instinct that triggered itself. But he still felt their blood on his hands, even if he wasn't in control they both died by his hands.

Yes he is a ninja, but that sort of brutality could be excused by no title or mission briefing. No one deserved to die in such a way. He vowed to learn to control the power inside him until such a time when he could release it, until he could release Kyuubi.

They walked until night fell, making camp with Suki keeping watch for any ninja in the area. Kyuubi relieved her once she had replenished her youki, keeping vigilant through the night whilst simultaneously trying to find a way to prevent the day's events occurring for a second time.

* * *

Sarutobi paced back and forth as Kakashi's clone waited patiently. For Naruto to be present in Wave placed team seven in unknown danger, especially as the Kyuubi was also present. He didn't understand how Iwa could allow the demon to wander freely, let alone be placed on a ninja team. Didn't they realise how dangerous the fox was? Or did they simply not care?

Relations between Konoha and Iwa were beginning to heal but Sarutobi knew Iwa wouldn't pass up a chance to remove a few Konoha ninja if they felt they were interfering, accidents do happen after all. That would be their excuse anyway.

Jiraiya had been a massive help in providing information from within Iwa itself, even if things were rocky between him and Naruto. It was his hope to get close to the blonde to influence him into returning to Konoha, but it seemed he held a grudge against his family or anyone close to them. That was a barrier that might never fall.

But he had his contingencies, Kushina had provided a number of ways to retrieve his weapon over the coming times. All he needed was to subtly influence any one of those events and Naruto would be his again. He wasn't going to remain in Iwa's possession for very long, providing he got his way. If he failed, Kushina wouldn't be very happy...

Then again he had a chance right here to reclaim his lost possession. With but a word he summoned his best ANBU into his office, the three uniformed individuals standing rigidly in respect to their leader.

Sarutobi nodded to them in return. "Team seven in Wave country requires backup for their mission. Other parties are at play there, one in particular that requires your expertise." The ANBU nodded in understanding before the Hokage continued. "Go to Wave, link up with Kakashi and retrieve what is rightfully mine. You leave immediately." Within the blink of an eye the three figures were gone. Sarutobi turned to Kakashi's clone. "Carry out your mission as normal but should an opportunity arise then you know what you need to do."

The clone nodded before dispersing.

* * *

Naruto woke in a much more accepting mood compared to the previous day. His newest vow to control Kyuubi's youki inside him had given him a reason to work hard again, not to say that he didn't work hard anyway though. His new aim had given him more drive than before to push himself further. Kyuubi was watching him as he woke, waiting patiently as he moved beside the fox.

"You seem much better today Naruto."

He nodded. "I am, I realised I need to work harder to control myself and not repeat yesterday again. If I can control your power then there should be no danger in using it."

Kyuubi dipper her head. "That is true. We shall look into it once we return to Iwa, where we have time and privacy to do so."

Naruto nodded again as Suki and Kurotsuchi woke. "Just help me maintain my control while we are here Kyuubi, I don't want to risk hurting anyone that isn't an enemy." His eyes were drawn to his team mates.

Kyuubi saw where his vision was directed, as well as heard the slight desperation in his voice. "You have my word Naruto that I will help you control this. We will find a way."

* * *

**A/N: Please don't hate on me from the quick fight or the deaths of Zabuza and Haku. They don't have spots in this story after this chapter so having them survive seemed pointless and a plot hole. There's a bigger fight coming anyway, as you probably could guess so stay tuned for more.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Managed to write this in 2 hours... I am impressed with myself. Hopefully I haven't lost too many of you due to slow updates.**

**Also, since I've been doing this on my Digimon stories, I can be found on Steam and Skype under the same name and picture as here. Feel free to come find me and hang out if you wish, I don't bite. Honest.**

* * *

The Life of the Hunted

Chapter 16

Team ten made it to the water's edge, a wide river that cut off the island they were heading towards. In the distance, through the fog, they could make out a silhouette of a large unfinished bridge, obviously aimed at bringing a hard transport lane to the island. Suki surveyed the area, it was ripe for an ambush. Especially near the dock that held the only boat.

She motioned for her team to follow her and, using a technique they had all mastered already, walked across the surface of the water as if it was land. Suki had purposely made it a priority for her team to master both tree walking and water walking before anything else, chakra control was paramount to success or failure when using techniques in a battle.

Naruto walked in between Suki and Kurotsuchi, Kyuubi being in the seal keeping her youki ready in case of an ambush. She had been caught out once already, she didn't plan on repeating her mistake. He had a determined air about him as he carried himself with much more confidence than before, his declaration about controlling the power inside him had given him a new goal to strive for. Kurotsuchi and Suki had both noticed his change in attitude but chose not to comment unless they ruined the moment.

Once they reached the opposite shore Suki moved to locate the other dock, setting up a complex series of traps layered with a concealing Jutsu. If they got lucky the target would be killed when they landed on the island, if they got really lucky they would also bag the Konoha team. With the first trap set up Suki moved to find a backup site for an ambush, intending to use her team to their full potential.

She motioned for Naruto to come forward. "How many Lava Dragons can you summon at once?"

He gave her a confused look. "Only two or three with my own chakra."

Suki got the hidden message. "And how many with Kyuubi's?"

He allowed a small smile. "Considerably more." He glanced around the area they were in. "How many do you need?"

"As many as you can do without compromising your fighting abilities." She gestured to the area around them. "Have them hide underground until our target comes, then they can attack. Hopefully we won't need them if our first trap works out but we need a contingency, if they get past this as well we will have to resort to more conventional methods."

Naruto nodded and began summoning Lava Dragons, having them bury themselves underground to lie in wait. Suki stopped him once he had ten of them in a circle. He wasn't kidding, he could create _considerably_ more. She made a mental note to test his full capabilities with Kyuubi's youki reserves. With the second line set team ten retreated back to a third ambush point, one that allowed them to see the first two from cover. All they had to do was wait.

* * *

The Konoha ANBU team met briefly with Kakashi to inform him they had arrived before moving on. They were tracking the Iwa team to the river's edge but decided to wait for team seven before crossing. Once they had caught up they travelled across in the boat. So far they hadn't seen much in the way of signs that the Kyuubi was around, they knew from the reports Jiraiya gave that the fox was free though so their guard remained high.

As they neared the shore though the ANBU could sense a Genjutsu on the dock. Deciding against falling for the trap they landed the boat elsewhere, one member tossing a rock at the dock. A series of snaps and twangs were heard, obvious trap triggers. They were glad they chose not to use the dock in the end.

Suki cursed. Why were her traps so ineffective all the time? First her own team had triggered them back on their first test and now this. It was time she improved her skills.

The ANBU team moved off again, straight into the circle of waiting Lava Dragons. The ground seemed a little warmer than usual but none of the three registered the significance of it until the ten dragons burst from the ground. The searing heat drove the three ANBU together as the dragons lunged together, leaving them nowhere to go. In that brief moment they seemed to forget their skills, having never faced Lava Dragons before or any lava techniques for that matter. All three were incinerated before the dragons collided in a volcanic eruption, lava pouring towards the river.

Team seven just stared in wonder, shocked and horrified wonder, at the display. They had to face that? Something that just wiped out a team of ANBU and they had to proceed ahead? Kakashi knew they had to complete their mission though so he went ahead, his genin team following with their client.

Suki and team ten saw the Konoha ninja advance with their target. It would come down to conventional methods after all. She turned to her team.

"Looks like we have to do things ourselves. I will take the jounin, Kurotsuchi will handle the pale skinned one and you get the dark haired male Naruto. The girl doesn't look like much of a fighter so it is likely she will remain with the target. Deal with your opponent then complete our mission, the target is the priority here."

Team ten nodded before splitting up. Suki would begin things by challenging the jounin before her team came forward. Kyuubi opted to remain in the seal just in case, if she was needed then she would be ready.

Suki stepped out, Kakashi halting his team. "Give us the old man and you may live."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "I don't think so. If you want him you'll have to go through all of us."

Suki smiled, not in a good way for Kakashi. "I was hoping you would say that."

Beside her Kurotsuchi emerged from cover, already setting her sights on Sai, while Naruto appeared on her other flank. Kakashi's eye followed the blonde, seeing him properly for the first time since he left Konoha.

_'Naruto...'_

With a single gesture team ten attacked.

Kurotsuchi closed Sai down, who frantically began drawing some support. He managed to create a lion to help him, the paper beast jumping in front of Kurotsuchi before she could strike the boy. She slashed at it with two kunai as she tried to get past it but the beast just shrugged the wounds off, it felt no pain since it was just animated paper. She narrowly avoided the snapping jaws, assuming she would get more than a paper cut, and leapt back to put some distance between her and the lion. She reassessed the situation and created three clones, substituting with them a few times so Sai couldn't tell the real one apart, and sent three to the lion. The other clone and herself charged Sai directly.

Suki swatted Kakashi's kunai away time and time again, watchful of his hidden eye. She knew who he was and was fully aware of his Sharingan eye, but her Genjutsu could work as a distraction if he did decide to use it. Creating a clone behind him Suki substituted seamlessly with it, turning her blades to his unprotected back. Instead of attacking though she used a mild Genjustu to conceal herself and created a second clone in her place, using a second Genjutsu to change its appearance to Naruto. He seemed to have some sort of attachment to her blonde and, whilst looking obvious as an illusion, should provide her enough distraction to deliver a tide turning blow. Her first clone dispelled with a fatal wound, one she allowed to happen, as Kakashi spun around.

Naruto closed down Sauske with ease, the brooding boy seemingly bored already. He didn't know this blonde kid and anyone he didn't know wasn't worth his time. However that stance changed when Naruto slashed at him with lightning speeds. Sauske dodged and countered with his own kunai, his speed just a fraction slower than Naruto's. He actually allowed a small smirk, perhaps this kid was a worthy challenge after all. He could use some practice before he found his brother anyway.

Kurotsuchi had Sai on the back foot. Whilst she attacked him directly he couldn't focus on his drawings. He had managed to squeeze out a second lion that assisted the first, taking her last clone away from her, but he still had to deal with the real her. Not that he knew what one was real, he just knew he was in trouble if he couldn't get her away. Kurotsuchi gave him no ground as she relentlessly attacked with her kunai, the pale boy resorting to using blades of his own to counter her. It was either that or lose the hands that were trying to draw, either way he couldn't summon any more assistance unless his lions defeated the others. Sadly that fight wasn't in his favour either as her clones dispatched one of the beasts and piled onto the second. Thing weren't looking good for Sai especially seeing as he had let his guard down. Kurotsuchi's blades were coming at him and he couldn't deflect them in time.

Kakashi whirled around to see Naruto stood behind him, unarmed and stoic. He faltered at seeing the blonde, he was sure he was fighting Sauske...

Quick as a blur Suki drove her kunai down, aiming for Kakashi's spine. The male jounin, thinking something was wrong with what he was seeing, ducked and spun around, sweeping 'Naruto's' legs from underneath and dispelling the illusion. It _was_ a trick. The manoeuvre put Suki in his view, her blades now aimed at his neck. He twisted further to avoid the kunai and kicked her away, returning to his feet just in time to see Sai fall from Kurotsuchi. The pale boy was littered with cuts from her kunai knives and had possibly passed out from exhaustion and blood loss, there weren't any fatal wounds on his body.

Kurotsuchi, now free of her downed opponent, turned to the target. Sakura saw the dark haired girl approach and settled into a defensive stance. Kurotsuchi sent a glance to Naruto, seeing him trade blows with the other male genin, before refocussing on her new fight. She flexed her shoulders and charged the other girl.

Suki and Kakashi squared off again, circling each other and examining their stances. Suki sent a kunai towards the male jounin, who deflected it but fell for the distraction. Suki made a clone behind him again and switched with it, Kakashi lunging forwards, and slashed both her kunai across his back. Kakashi grunted but recovered, knocking her away again and driving the air from her lungs. Or he would have done if she didn't dispel.

_'Another clone? But where- Arrgghh!'_

Suki's blades crossed his back a second time before she jumped back, blood dripping from her kunai. She had him now, the great Sharingan user wouldn't last much longer.

Naruto battered Sauske over and over but he could find no ground against him, locked in a stalemate. They locked blades several times and tried to overpower each other but neither could break though the other's guard. Naruto was becoming more and more frustrated, seeing as Kurotsuchi had finished her opponent and Suki was close to winning her fight. He had yet to make any gains in his fight, he was dragging his team down and he hated it.

Kyuubi detected him drawing on her youki again. **"Be careful Naruto, don't use too much."** She could do nothing to stop him using her power but she could at least try to guide him in controlling it. **"Concentrate on the flow and regulate it. I know it will be hard with the fighting but you must try if you are to control yourself."**

Naruto nodded mentally and tried to focus on regulating the youki flow from the seal. His shift in concentration broke his guard enough for Sauske to inflict a slash upon his arm. Naruto hissed in annoyance more than pain and instantly broke his concentration, youki spilling unchecked into his system.

**"No!"**

Kyuubi's thought came too late as her power corrupted him again, his form shifting into that which it was the first time. Red slitted eyes, claw like nails and lengthened hair, along with the demonic voice and wild spike in chakra that drew everyone's attention.

Naruto swung a fist at Sauske, blades forgotten, and smashed him aside. He jumped after him and swung again, battering the dark haired boy as he tried to get clear of the enraged blonde. It was at this point though that Sauske's dormant Sharingan decided to activate.

Now able to track and anticipate Naruto's movements Sauske effectively dodged more and more swings, forcing Naruto to become enraged further by the annoyance.

Sakura tried to hold off the other, stronger, girl but was pushed aside easily. Kurotsuchi disregarded the pathetic ninja and closed with the old man. He made no attempts to run or defend himself as she advanced, knocking Sakura aside again as she tried to stop her. Reversing her grip on a single kunai she threw it with lightning speed and precision, the blade sinking into Tazuna's chest where his heart was. The man's eyes rolled back as he collapsed, the rise and fall of his chest ending after a few seconds.

With their mission accomplished Kurotsuchi turned to helping her team mates, starting with Suki since Naruto wasn't quite himself again. She didn't want him to confuse her with an enemy.

Kakashi was having a hard time deflecting the female jounin away from him. His Sharingan was active but the wounds to his back were posing a problem, he couldn't concentrate properly to use his eye fully. He could follow the female's attacks but couldn't predict them. He also couldn't see what was going on outside of his own fight because of the pressure Suki was putting on him with all the defensive manoeuvres he was trying. If he didn't find a way out of this he was as good as dead.

Naruto was fast losing his temper, but as he got angrier he drew on more youki. He became stronger and faster, so much so that Sauske wasn't able to track him so easily. The blonde wasn't mindless though, he still retained some control. Therefore he sent a feint to Sauske's left and spun with a real jab to his right. The dark haired boy fell for the move and took a fist in his gut, driving the wind from him and pushing him back. Now on the back foot he had to defend from Naruto's follow up, a second fist coming for his other side. He brought his arms to his left to deflect the blow but fell for the feint again, Naruto's left hand closing around his neck and lifting him from the ground.

Sauske gasped for air as he flailed against the blonde, trying everything to make him let go. Naruto's grip was strong though as he lifted a clawed finger to Sauske's face. Kyuubi, looking through Naruto's eyes, noticed the bloodline.

**"He has those eyes, the same ones that controlled me all those years ago!"**

That was enough for Naruto to finally snap.

He extended his finger straight out and stabbed Sauske's left eye with the claw. The boy screamed in agony as the youki laced claw burned the remains of his eye out, leaving nothing but a charred socket that oozed blood and wisps of smoke. The stench of burning flesh heavy around them. Naruto dropped the screaming boy and kicked him away, his self control returning as he reeled in on the youki.

He surveyed the area, ignoring the screams of Sauske. Their target was dead, the other male genin from Konoha was out for the count and Suki was joined by Kurotsuchi in fighting the jounin. The pink haired girl was crying over the dead man. He snorted, useless.

"Kurotsuchi, Suki-sensei! Our mission is complete. Let's go."

Seeing Naruto back in control of himself Suki decided it was a good time to go. If they stayed he could lose himself again. With a final kick to the jounin to make sure he stayed down Suki left with Kurotsuchi, Naruto already walking away. They proceeded to make the journey back to Iwa, leaving the screams of combat behind them.

* * *

Sarutobi held his head as Kushina stood opposite him. A clone from Kakashi had just arrived and explained what happened. It wasn't good.

His ANBU team were all dead. Sai was heavily injured, although he should live, and out of any fighting for a few days. Sakura had proven to be completely useless as he had feared. Kakashi was even more heavily injured than Sai, again he should live though. And Sauske, the last Uchiha in Konoha, had lost an eye.

And to top it all off Tazuna, the mission's client, was dead. Things were bad and he knew it.

Kushina couldn't quite believe that Naruto had managed to inflict so much damage, having been told about the four victims before the fight. He was indeed a powerful weapon. When Sarutobi finally recaptures him and shows how effective he will be she will have a village of her own, bending her former village's killers to her will. If they were going to destroy her home then she would do the same to theirs, just in a more satisfying way than outright destruction. She smirked inside her head at the prospect of her sadistic revenge. She could even make Naruto destroy them, such cruel irony was appealing to her after all.

But first Sarutobi had to reclaim him. As for the Hokage he had to enter a meeting to discuss the horrendous failure of team seven's mission, including the condition of their hallowed 'last Uchiha hero'.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Sorry about the wait. Writing this story is becoming very difficult and I've had spats od writer's block on top. I will get there with this so for now here's a short chapter before the next arc of stuff.**

* * *

The Life of the Hunted

Chapter 17

"Concentrate Naruto, feel the power inside you. Remember who you are and what you are fighting for. Focus on that feeling."

It had been a year since the Wave mission and team ten, namely Naruto, had undergone some heavy duty training. Kyuubi had been his mentor in learning to control her youki so he could use it and not lose himself, giving in to primal rage instead of rational thought. It had been a slow year but progress had been made. It turns out that the more of her youki Naruto used the more his physical appearance changed to resemble Kyuubi.

Currently when he 'gained' a tail he also grew youki ears, all the appendages so far were youki and not physical. Nor were they permanent. But when he tried to use a second tail his control slipped. The jump in power between using one and two tails was too great for him at that point, he needed more control first.

Plus he still couldn't focus on regulating the youki whilst in a combat environment. That was something else that needed work on, Iwa was running out of usable training grounds. Kyuubi also drew the line, and severed the connection, when he tried to use a tailed beast bomb after his control slipped at two tails. Levelling the village they called home wasn't exactly beneficial.

Progress was slow, but it was progress all the same.

"Enough Naruto, that will do for today."

The blonde sighed and relaxed, returning to Kyuubi who had retreated to a safe distance while he learned to harness her youki.

"I think I'm beginning to get the hang of this Kyuubi."

The fox gave him a side glance. "After a year of this I should hope so too! You just need to remember to keep your focus, and not tap into any more than one tail's worth."

Naruto nodded as Kurotsuchi came up to them. "Nii-san! Suki-sensei has a new mission for us."

A sigh escaped the blonde's lips. "Another D rank I assume? I would have thought our mission in Wave would have allowed us something better."

"Afraid so. Seems Jiji is punishing us still for defying his orders. At least he's calmed down since then." They all remembered his reaction when he learnt where they had been. He had not been impressed, not in the slightest. Well, proud that they had completed the task but immeasurably furious with them doing it instead of D ranks.

With nothing better to do, since Naruto needed time to recover from using youki, they went to find Suki for their next span of boredom.

* * *

Another year passed with Naruto fine tuning his control over the first tail of Kyuubi's youki. He had managed to retain his focus even during light skirmishes with clones but when he was exposed to greater numbers he couldn't control the power enough to use it to any benefit. Everyone had their limits and he was finding his own.

However Onoki had lifted team ten's punishment and allowed them access to rank C missions. Their first few were raids on bandit camps and caravans, anything that didn't involve hostile ninja. They had also taken a few B ranks that dealt with larger concentrations of thieves and plunderers, quite often returning items that were stolen by said parties. It was on their fourth B rank, or rather the completion of, that Naruto discovered something unusual amongst the items.

He called his team over to examine the item. Kyuubi was the one to identify it.

"That's a summoning contract scroll. What's it doing in a thief camp?"

Suki scanned the scroll with scrutiny. Holding it closed was a ribbon with a dragon shaped clasp. "I would imagine this is the contract for dragons summons, although it hasn't been seen for years. No one truly owns it now."

Naruto though snatched the scroll from her grip. "Now someone does."

"Naruto!" Kurotsuchi scolded. The former title names had been dropped recently as the two got older, apparently they seemed too childish to use anymore. "You can't just take it for yourself!"

"He can Kurotsuchi." Suki stated. "He found it and no one else would have the chakra reserves to summon the dragons. However I doubt they would work for you so easily Naruto."

"Why not?"

Kyuubi took over. "Dragons are mighty beings that position themselves above everyone else. They have great strength to crush their enemies and wisdom to know when to do so. They are cunning even compared to us foxes, which is why we don't get along so well. Dragons accuse us of copying them with our slyness and we are jealous of their natural abilities. Several fights have broken out between us and have left relations sour at best. They will sense me within you if you summon one and that might well go very badly for you."

"Although, with his Lava Dragon Jutsu, Naruto might impress them enough not to be killed straight away." Suki stated, making the blonde shiver.

"Thanks Suki-sensei... I feel much better already."

Suki ignored the sarcasm. "At any rate I think we should look into this contract. Give it a try Naruto, open it and sign it with your blood."

Naruto broke the seal on the scroll and opened it. He frowned in confusion. "Suki-sensei? Where do I sign?"

Suki looked at the scroll and paused. Where there should have been ancient writings and a space to sign was instead a detailed and cryptic map. It showed a land not familiar to her with various riddle like directions between several landmarks on the journey to find what was, presumably, the real scroll of the dragon summons.

"Well, this is much more difficult than I thought. It seems the scroll is but a map to the real one." Suki stopped the protests from her team. "We should go back to Iwa and speak to the Tsuchikage. Hopefully he will allow us to pursue this riddle, and we can collect our payment for this job too. Come."

Team ten, with a collective sigh, turned to head back home.

* * *

"Absolutely not!"

"But Jiji! This is a rare summoning scroll! Think of what we could do with this!"

"I said no!"

Onoki wasn't happy with the idea of allowing his granddaughter and adopted grandson to go on some quest in dangerous territory, seeing as he knew where the journey began. Team ten had pleaded for a few minutes by now, only Suki remained quiet. Kyuubi was in the seal also keeping her silence.

"Jiji, please. Iwa can benefit from this." Kurotsuchi even stooped so low as to use her puppy eyes. Sadly they were ineffective against Onoki, who had learned to harden up against such tricks.

"Tsuchikage-sama. If I may?" Onoki nodded at Suki, interested and surprised by her late intervention. "This scroll is a very rare and highly sought after artifact. If say Konoha were to learn of its location and seek it for themselves-"

"Fine!" The thought of Sarutobi having the scroll of dragons had unnerved him enough to sway his judgment. There was no way he would allow Konoha such power. "You have one week to find it. After that you return with or without it. Am I understood?"

The chorus of agreements was instantaneous. "Hai, Tsuchikage-sama!"

Onoki pinched his brow. "The sooner you leave the sooner you will return. I also expect you to train hard while you can, I've entered you into the next Chunin exams being held in Konoha. As much as I am weary of them it would do us good to show off just how strong you are. Perhaps then they will forget about trying to take you, Naruto, from here, and it might make them think twice about trying to kill you too." A trio of nods came his way. "Right, get going already. I expect you to all be standing before me this time next week, this _exact_ time."

"Hai!"

* * *

"Hokage-sama, we have received a response from Iwa about the Chunin exams."

Sarutobi looked up at his secretary. Kushina sat just out of view in the shadows, keenly listening to the conversation. He sent her a glance before addressing the secretary. "What did they say?"

"They have two teams they wish to put forward, teams six and ten."

"Do we know who is in those teams?" The secretary shook her head. "Very well. Thank you. Let them know they are accepted, and extend an invitation to all who wish to watch the exams."

"Hai Hokage-sama."

Once she had left Kushina stepped out. "Onoki will send Naruto's team. He can't afford to miss a chance to gloat about his new weapon, what better chance than the Chunin exams being held in Naruto's former home?"

Sarutobi nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. If I was to guess he's on team ten, but I have been wrong before."

Kushina glared at him. "Yes, you have. Frequently." She cleared her throat. "At any rate we have two months to prepare ourselves. Begin with your ANBU, have them prepare possible locations in which to separate Naruto from his team. And remember, these are the Chunin exams. Accidents can happen..."

Sarutobi allowed his greedy grin to spread across his face, while Kushina gained a calculating look. The time was ripe, the weapon will be Konoha's again.


	18. Note

This is just a message to state this story is now on a Hiatus. I don't know when it might come back, if it ever will, so please don't ask. This is too difficult to do anymore and my love for Naruto has completely faded. I feel as if I am failing my fans by doing this so I am going to offer one last chance for this story if I don't come back to it.

If someone wishes to continue this in my stead then by all means contact me. You can go on your own route or follow the few plot points I have left, it is entirely up to you. Either way there won't be content for this story for a little while longer at least. I try to make sure I finish all my work but this one might be the one that fails that. I'm having issues writing everything at the moment so don't think I'm abandoning just this story: I doubt I'll be posting anything else after my remaining stories are done. I might even leave fan fiction for good, who knows?

All that's left to say is thank you to all my readers and fans. You made it easier for me to continue but sadly even you can't provide infinite support when it gets tough.

Thanks again all for your support.

Glint.

Edit: Well. Thanks to perseus2247 I can now confirm that this story is cancelled. I don't need reviews like yours so thanks.


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